US EditionReport: Iran coach to attend World Cup draw despite federation boycott
Iran's coach will attend the World Cup draw despite the federation's boycott over visa denials affecting five members, including the federation president, FFIRI said.
- On Dec 5 Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei, Iran coach, arrived in Washington, D.C. with an Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation delegation ahead of Friday's World Cup draw.
- Last week the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation said the U.S. granted four visas out of nine applied for, and FFIRI president Mehdi Taj was denied a visa, prompting a boycott.
- Federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi said Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei would attend with one or two staff members to keep Iran's seat filled, describing the presence as purely technical; FIFA welcomed the delegation in Washington.
- With the draw scheduled for Friday, Iran will discover its group-stage opponents at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as FIFA welcomes the delegation and continues preparations for the expanded 48-team tournament.
- The U.S. maintains long-standing strict visa rules for Iranians, but exemptions exist for athletes and support roles, as promised by the Secretary of State despite the travel ban in June imposed by President Donald Trump.
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64 Articles
Iran coach lands in Washington for World Cup draw
PARIS, Dec 5 : Iran coach Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei arrived in Washington with a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation ahead of Friday's World Cup draw, FIFA said.In a statement to Reuters, FIFA said it welcomed the delegation's presence in the U.S. capital as preparations continue for
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Associated Press News
Report: Iran coach to attend World Cup draw despite federation boycott
Iran's national team coach plans to attend the 2026 World Cup draw Friday in Washington. This comes despite Iran's soccer federation announcing a boycott saying the U.S. denied visas for its delegation.
The Iranian Football Association is sending a delegation to the World Cup draw in the USA. The boycott of the event announced a week ago is thus off the table.
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