Having qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Iranian football delegation is still awaiting visa approval to attend the draw on December 5, 2025, in Washington. A refusal by the United States could lead to a new diplomatic situation between the two countries.
This is a new challenge for FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). With less than a month until the World Cup draw ceremony on December 5, 2025, in Washington, the United States, co-hosts of the event with Canada and Mexico, have not yet granted visas to the Iranian football delegation.
According to the spokesman for the Iranian Football Federation, the process of submitting documents to obtain visas for federation officials to attend the draw ceremony and related World Cup programs is ongoing, and no definitive response has been received yet. The federation hopes to receive a final answer in the coming weeks.
A Predictable Difficulty
If the visa refusal is confirmed, nine members of the Iranian staff, including the president of the Iranian Football Federation and the coach of the Iranian team, will be unable to attend the event on December 5.
FIFA’s principle is to stay away from political and religious issues. When a country is selected by FIFA to host a World Cup, it must comply with all FIFA standards. If it cannot, for any reason, then that country is not qualified to host the competition.
This situation could complicate the Iranian national team’s participation in the North American event and impact its preparation.
Could Iran Be Excluded from the 2026 World Cup?
The travel ban enacted last June indeed prohibits entry into the country for nationals from 12 countries, including Iran. However, this should not apply to athletes or sports coaches traveling to the United States.
This situation casts doubt on the attendance of Iranian staff members, media, and especially Iranian fans at the World Cup matches scheduled in the United States.
It would be a complex situation if the Iranian team were prevented from participating in the World Cup. However, FIFA is a major organization, and it will not be simple to prevent a team like Iran from accessing its rights.
A New Situation Regarding Iranian Participation?
Among Iranians, some view this situation as a diplomatic challenge from the US administration.
Indeed, during previous competitions, questions had been raised concerning the participation of the Iranian football team. For now, these aspects do not seem to be at the center of FIFA’s concerns.