Iranian FA drops plan to boycott 2026 World Cup draw

Iran is to be represented at Friday's draw for the 2026 World Cup. The country's FA had previously said it would boycott the draw after several members of its planned delegation were denied visas for the United States.

By Chuck Penfold

Iran is now expected to have a delegation at Friday's World Cup draw in Washington D.C. after all. Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donjamali told state news agency Irna on Thursday that head coach Amir Ghalenoei would attend.

This comes almost a week after the Iranian FA (FFIRI) announced that it would boycott the draw in protest after learning that several members of its planned delegation had been denied entry visas for the United States. 

According to the English-language website Tehran Times, FFIRI President Mehdi Taj was among those who have been refused entry. In his statement Donjamali said that visas had now been issued, but it wasn't clear whether the FFIRI president would be part of the delegation. 

Iran and the US have been at loggerheads for decades, having broken off diplomatic relations in 1980. US President Donald Trump has imposed a general entry ban on Iranian citizens, with limited exceptions.

Iranian fans to be excluded?

As things stand, Iranian football fans would not be allowed to travel to the United States to support their team during the World Cup. This also applies to fans from Haiti, which has also qualified for the World Cup.

However, the travel ban does not affect these countries' national team players and coaches.

The Trump executive order makes exceptions for, among others, "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state."

Next summer's World Cup will mark Iran's fourth consecutive participation in the tournament and its seventh overall. The country has never advanced to the knockout stage, but it has faced the United States twice.

Iran beat the US 2-1 in the group stage of the 1998 tournament in France. The United States got its revenge in 2022, beating Iran 1-0 in Qatar.

The 2026 World Cup, which is to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is to kick off on June 11, with the final to be played at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19. 

Edited by: Kalika Mehta

This article was originally published on November 28, 2026. It was updated on December 4, 2026 with Iran's decision not to boycott the World Cup draw.