Iran has officially reversed its earlier decision to skip the upcoming FIFA World Cup draw in Washington, announcing that it will now send its representatives to the ceremony after resolving visa-related concerns. The shift marks a significant turnaround from the country’s previous stance, which stemmed from the United States declining visa requests for several members of the Iranian delegation.
According to a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, national team head coach Amir Ghalenoei will attend the draw as the team’s technical representative, accompanied by one or two officials. This confirmation follows earlier remarks from the Iranian Football Federation claiming that the denial of visas had forced them to inform FIFA about their withdrawal from the event.
Iranian sports outlet Varzesh 3 previously reported that federation president Mehdi Taj was among those who initially did not receive a visa. Taj had criticised the situation as politically motivated, urging FIFA President Gianni Infantino to intervene and press the United States to change its stance. Later updates confirmed that four members of the delegation, including Ghalenoei, were approved for travel in time for the December 5 draw.
Iran earned its spot in the upcoming World Cup after qualifying earlier in March, marking the national team’s fourth successive appearance and seventh overall. Although Iran has never advanced past the group stage, past encounters with the United States remain some of the most memorable moments in its World Cup history—most notably Iran’s 2–1 victory in 1998 and the USA’s narrow 1–0 win in 2022.
Relations between the United States and Iran continue to be strained, shaped by decades of political tension. Both countries had engaged in high-level nuclear discussions beginning in April, but the negotiations collapsed following a major escalation mid-year when Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iranian soil, prompting a 12-day conflict in which Washington briefly joined attacks on key Iranian nuclear facilities.