Iran announced it will boycott next week’s World Cup finals draw in Washington after the United States refused to grant visas to several members of its delegation. The Iranian football federation said the decision was politically motivated and had “nothing to do with sports,” urging FIFA to intervene.
Boycott World Cup
Reports from Iranian sports outlet Varzesh 3 indicated that visas were denied to top officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj, though four members—among them coach Amir Ghalenoei—did receive approval. Taj criticized the U.S. move as a deliberate political stance. The dispute unfolds amid long-running tensions between Tehran and Washington, further strained after nuclear talks collapsed following Israel’s June air campaign on Iran and brief U.S. military involvement.
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