Soccer-Iran to boycott World Cup draw over US visa issues


U.S. and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) -Iran is to boycott next week's draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup in the United States in protest at the limited allocation of visas, the Iranian football federation said on Friday.

"The Iranian delegation will not be present for the World Cup draw in relation to the latest status of issuing visas for the Iranian delegation to attend the draw ceremony", federation spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi was quoted as saying by Iranian sports news website Tarafdari.

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