Iran's football federation has confirmed that no representatives will attend the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington after US authorities denied visas to key delegation members, Tabnak reported on November 28.

Amir Mehdi Alavi, the federation's spokesman, said the decision was made following consultations with the Ministry of Sport and Youth and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has been communicated to FIFA.

"Given that the decisions taken are non-sporting and the path has deviated from the sporting process, it was decided that the Iranian delegation would not attend the draw ceremony," Alavi said.

The federation has corresponded with FIFA over the past two days, informing President Gianni Infantino and Secretary-General of the situation.

"FIFA has stated that it will pursue the matter seriously," Alavi said.

Alavi noted that Infantino had previously visited the Iranian national team's dressing room after the CAFA 2025 final against Uzbekistan, where he pledged to ensure Iran's participation from the draw ceremony through to the final day of the World Cup, including workshops.

Visas were denied for the federation's security director and executive director, who were required to attend mandatory workshops, even though federation president Mehdi Taj, who holds positions at both the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA, received his ticket, Alavi said.

"There is no guarantee that the five people scheduled to go to the draw will not face problems for the tournament itself," he added.

The draw is scheduled for December 5. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Iran secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup on 25 March 2025 with a 2–2 home draw against Uzbekistan in Asian qualifying, ESPN previously reported.