Tehran, Iran – Iran has announced that it will be officially represented at the draw ceremony for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place on Friday in Washington, D.C.
This comes days after controversy surrounding a previous decision to boycott the event in protest
against Washington’s refusal to grant entry visas to a number of members of the Iranian delegation.
Tehran had initially threatened not to participate in the draw ceremony,
She argued that the US restrictions on granting visas represent
a political measure that hinders the official presence of the Iranian Football Federation.
He retracted the boycott decision
However, the federation reversed its decision to boycott,
stressing that the sporting interest necessitates Iran’s representation
in this important international event.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation,
in a statement broadcast on state television,
The national team’s technical director, Amir Galenavi,
will attend the draw ceremony as the team’s technical representative.
This is on the condition that he is accompanied by one or two officials from the Union.
The spokesperson added that the federation is seeking to ensure
“Iran’s presence at all World Cup-related events.”
Despite what he described as “procedural obstacles” related to visas.
Iran’s participation in the draw is an important step
This development comes at a time when the participating teams are preparing
to follow the draw ceremony that will determine the groups for the 2026 World Cup.
Which is hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran’s participation in the draw represents an important step in the context
of its preparations for the qualifiers and the final stage of the tournament.
This is especially true given that they are among the teams
with the most appearances in the World Cup at the Asian level.
Keeping sports out of politics
The presence of the Iranian delegation in Washington is expected to generate widespread media interest.
This is due to the political tensions between the two countries,
and the controversy that preceded the decision to participate.
However, sports sources in Tehran insist
that the priority now is to “not politicize sports.”
The focus is on ensuring the Iranian national team’s presence
at all stages of preparation for the World Championship.
