"DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Iran has decided to boycott the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington next week because the U.S. denied visas to members of its delegation, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday. The agency quoted Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi as saying that officials faced visa obstacles that go beyond sports considerations. There was no immediate comment from the White House. Alavi said the federation had reached out to FIFA and hoped it could help resolve the issue. Soccer's ruling body didn't immediately reply to a request for comment."
"President Donald Trump's administration announced in June a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries including Iran. The list also included Haiti, which last week qualified for the World Cup. Exemptions, however, were promised for "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." It is unclear whether the exemptions also apply to the World Cup draw, which takes place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center."
Iran announced a boycott of the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington after U.S. authorities denied visas to members of the Iranian delegation. Iranian soccer federation officials said visa obstacles exceeded sports considerations and requested FIFA assistance to resolve the matter. The U.S. travel ban announced in June includes Iran but lists exemptions for athletes and support personnel for major sporting events, though it is unclear if those exemptions cover the World Cup draw on Dec. 5. The Iranian delegation would have been led by federation president Mehdi Taj, a senior Asian soccer official and FIFA committee member. The expanded 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams and be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Read at The Mercury News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]