Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup as the leader of its group in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, where it again proved to be one of the best countries in the region, ahead of Uzbekistan and only behind Japan and New Zealand, teams that will also attend the World Cup to be held in Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Iran will attend the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time and the seventh in its history, which shows that it is a team that is doing things right and has become one of the best on the Asian continent. However, there have recently been political tensions with the United States, which has led the Iranians to make a crucial and controversial decision just days before the World Cup draw.
Iran announces it will not attend the 2026 World Cup draw due to US visa blockade
The Iranian team confirmed that it will not attend the 2026 World Cup draw scheduled for December 5 in Washington DC, after the US government refused to grant visas to part of the Iranian delegation, so the spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi said:
Iranian delegation will not be present at World Cup draw in relation to latest visa expedition situation
The discontent increased when the spokesman insisted that the US decision was not about sport but were “unsportsmanlike actions”. Although some members were granted permission, the exclusion of key figures within Iran’s governing body prompted them to announce their absence and take the case to FIFA.
Tensions and a migration ban between Iran and the United States complicate the road to the 2026 World Cup
This conflict comes in the midst of a migration ban announced by the administration of Donald Trump’s government, which restricts entry to the United States to 12 countries, including Iran, and although exceptions were made for sportsmen and women, it is not known whether this also applies to the World Cup draw.
But the situation took a more delicate turn when it became known that the United States maintained its refusal and did not approve visas for them to enter the country, despite the fact that Mehdi Taj, a member of the FIFA Committee responsible for supervising the organization of the World Cup and who has already informed Gianni Infantino directly about what is happening with Iran.
FIFA has yet to issue a statement or speak on the matter, but the World Cup draw is a week away where all countries will know their future ahead of the biggest World Cup in history with 48 countries.
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