SPORTS DESK
TEHRAN: Iran has announced that it may skip the upcoming World Cup draw after the United States granted visas to only a portion of its delegation, rejecting several others — among them Iranian Football Federation chief Mehdi Taj.
Iranian media report that Washington approved visas for just four officials traveling under the Iranian delegation, while requests for three others were turned down. The move has prompted Tehran to protest what it views as a restriction unrelated to sporting matters.
FFIRI spokesperson Mehdi Alavi said on Friday that the federation has formally notified FIFA of the situation, arguing that the US decision undermines the principle of neutrality in sports. He added that talks with FIFA have been ongoing in hopes of finding a resolution.
The World Cup draw is scheduled to be held on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, where teams will be allocated into groups for the 2026 tournament.
The 2026 World Cup — the first expanded to 48 teams — will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Matches will be contested across 16 stadiums, including two in Canada and three in Mexico.
Under the new group-stage format, 12 groups of four teams will be created, with the top two in each group and the best eight third-place finishers advancing to the knockout rounds.
Iran has already earned qualification for the tournament, marking its fourth consecutive appearance on the global stage and seventh in total.
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