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World Cup participants boycott draw in USA
November 28, 2025 – 11:04 amReading time: 1 min.
The World Cup draw will take place in the USA next week. An association is now boycotting the event – for a very specific reason.
The Iranian association has announced that it will boycott the draw for the 2026 World Cup. The event will take place next Friday in Washington, DC. As the association now explained, several members of the Iranian delegation had been refused visas in advance.
The spokesman for the Iranian Football Association said on state television: “We have informed Fifa that the decisions made have nothing to do with sport and that the members of the Iranian delegation will not take part in the World Cup draw.” According to local media, the USA is said to have, among other things, not granted a visa to the Iranian association president.
The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico. For the first time, 48 nations are taking part in the tournament.