Boluwatife Kehinde
The Iranian Football Federation has formally announced its decision to boycott the forthcoming World Cup finals draw scheduled to take place in Washington.
This decision follows the refusal by the United States to grant visas to certain members of the Iranian delegation.
As reported by AFP, the Iranian sports website Varzeh confirmed that the U.S. denied visa applications for several delegation members, including Mehdi Taj, the federation president. A spokesperson for the federation stated during an interview with state television that Iran will not participate in the World Cup draw.
“We have notified FIFA that the decisions regarding visa issuance are unrelated to sports, and therefore, the members of the Iranian delegation will not attend the World Cup draw,” the spokesperson conveyed.
On Thursday, President Taj criticised the visa decision, asserting that it was politically motivated.
“We have communicated to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that this stance is purely political and that FIFA should encourage the United States to reconsider this position,” Taj remarked.
Furthermore, according to Varzesh 3, four members of the delegation, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, did receive visas to participate in the draw on December 5.
Iran qualified for this prestigious tournament in March, marking its fourth consecutive appearance and its seventh overall.
Although the national team has yet to advance to the knockout stages, the victory against the USA during the group match in 1998 remains a memorable highlight. The USA later secured a 1-0 win against Iran in the 2022 tournament.
It is important to note that the United States is co-hosting the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico, and the relationship between the U.S. and Iran has been strained for over four decades.
