Iran announced on Friday that it will boycott next week’s FIFA World Cup finals draw in Washington DC after the United States refused to issue visas to several members of its football delegation.
According to foreign media reports, the Iranian football federation said it informed FIFA that the decision by US authorities had nothing to do with sports. The spokesperson told state television that the delegation will not take part in the draw.
An Iranian sports outlet reported on Tuesday that the US rejected visa applications for multiple officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj.
Taj criticised the move on Thursday and described it as a political act. He said he told FIFA President Gianni Infantino that the US must stop this behaviour.
According to Varzesh 3, four members of the delegation, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, received visas for the December 5 draw.
Iran qualified for the World Cup in March, securing a fourth straight appearance and seventh overall. The team has never reached the knockout stage, but its 2-1 victory over the US in the 1998 World Cup remains one of its most celebrated moments.
The US won the most recent meeting in 2022 with a 1-0 result.
Tensions between the US and Iran have shaped relations for more than forty years. Both sides held nuclear talks starting in April, but the negotiations collapsed in mid June after Israel launched a major bombing campaign on Iran.
The strike triggered a 12 day conflict that briefly pulled the US into direct military action against key Iranian nuclear facilities.