Iran has confirmed that it will now participate in the World Cup finals draw in Washington, marking a complete U-turn from its earlier decision to boycott the event due to visa issues.
According to state TV, the Iranian Football Federation announced that national team head coach Amir Ghalenoei will attend the December 5 draw, along with one or two other officials. This comes after U.S. authorities granted visas to four members of the Iranian delegation.
Last week, Iran claimed that several officials — including federation president Mehdi Taj — were denied U.S. visas, prompting the federation to inform FIFA of its plan to skip the ceremony. Taj previously criticized the U.S. move as “political,” urging FIFA to intervene.
With visas now approved for select members, Iran is set to join the draw. The Iranian team secured qualification in March, marking their fourth straight and seventh overall appearance at the World Cup. Despite never reaching the knockout stage, Iran famously defeated the USA 2–1 in the 1998 World Cup, while the U.S. won their 2022 rematch 1–0.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have spanned more than 40 years, though both sides have recently engaged in stalled nuclear negotiations. Relations worsened following an Israeli bombing campaign in June that sparked a 12-day conflict, with the U.S. briefly joining strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites.
