FIFA World Cup 2026: Country on Trump’s Ban List Boycotts Draw
- One of the countries included on US President Donald Trump’s travel-ban list has opted out of taking part in the official World Cup draw
- In June, Trump announced restrictions blocking nationals from 12 countries from entering the United States, two of which have already secured qualification for the tournament
- The draw is scheduled for December 5 in Washington, where Ghana and the other qualified nations will learn their group-stage opponents for next year’s competition
A diplomatic storm has hit the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Iran confirmed it will not attend next month’s group draw in Washington, DC.
The withdrawal comes after the United States reportedly declined to issue entry permits to several members of the Iranian delegation, creating a standoff just days before the December 5 ceremony.
Source: Getty Images
The situation traces back to Donald Trump’s earlier decision to block citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States.
Two of those nations, Iran and Haiti, secured places at the upcoming tournament.
Although the travel limits do not cover athletes or sports teams, supporters from both countries still face great uncertainty as the world prepares for the expanded event.
Iran to boycott 2026 World Cup draw?
Iran’s football federation announced that its representatives would not travel to the United States after repeated attempts to secure approval for the full delegation proved unsuccessful.
In a statement shared by spokesman Amir Mehdi Alavi through the Iranian sports outlet Tarafdari, the federation explained, as cited by Reuters:
"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."
Source: Getty Images
According to Alavi, American officials approved entry for four individuals, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, but declined to clear federation president Mehdi Taj.
He described the situation as a departure from sporting values, adding:
"Given that the decisions taken are unsportsmanlike and the path has deviated from the sporting process, it was decided that the Iranian delegation will not attend the draw ceremony."
Iran revealed that it had been in contact with FIFA leadership for two days regarding the matter.
"FIFA has said it will follow up on the matter seriously," Alavi told Tarafdari.
Iran booked its ticket to the World Cup in March after a spirited 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan in Tehran, earning a seventh appearance on the biggest stage and a fourth successive qualification.
How will the 2026 World Cup draw work?
The upcoming draw will determine the twelve groups for the first-ever 48-team World Cup, a format that will feature 104 matches and stretch from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with the final set for MetLife Stadium in New York.
According to FIFA, the draw will begin with all the teams from pot 1 being drawn to Groups A to L. It will then continue with pots 2, 3 and 4 in that order.
Ghana, placed in pot four, faces a potentially tough group, as the Black Stars chase a favourable path after missing out on the knockout rounds at the 2022 edition.
Donald Trump issues World Cup threat
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Donald Trump caused fresh controversy after threatening to move some 2026 World Cup matches.
FIFA has since made it clear that the US President has no authority to change the location of any fixtures.
Source: YEN.com.gh
