Drama as Qualified Country Set to Boycott 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria Alert
- Iran has threatened to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw amid rising political tensions with the United States
- The United States joined forces with Israel in a 12-day war, which included B-2 Spirit bombers destroying nuclear sites
- The Middle East heavyweight has accused the US of making political moves that will jeopardise their sport
Iran has threatened to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw scheduled to be held in the United States on December 5, amid political tensions.
Iran and the United States have been public enemies for decades, and the world power recently meddled in a war between Iran and their Middle East enemy, Israel.
Source: Getty Images
Israel and Iran were involved in a 12-day war over the denuclearisation of the Islamic Republic, which the United States meddled in.
US sent stealth B2 Spirit bombers to destroy nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, a move which heightened political tensions between the two countries.
Iran to boycott World Cup draw
FIFA announced the draw for the 2026 World Cup on December 5, 2025, in Washington DC, to determine the group stages of the first-ever 48-nation tournament.
42 nations have booked their slot at the tournament, with the remaining six to be confirmed in March 2026 during the European and intercontinental playoffs.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the countries that qualified from Asia, but recent political developments in the Middle East and North America could threaten its presence.
According to France 24, the Iranian FA have threatened to boycott the tournament, starting with the draw after the US denied their top delegates, including the president, visas.
“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” the spokesperson said.
“We have told the head of FIFA mister (Gianni) Infantino, that it is purely a political position and that FIFA must tell them (US) to desist from this behaviour.”
Source: Getty Images
US President Donald Trump has been strong on immigration policies since returning to office for a second term and has placed visa bans on multiple countries.
FIFA had previously confirmed that athletes, delegates and families of affected countries will be allowed into the United States for the World Cup.
However, in a recent development on Thanksgiving, Trump announced he will pause immigration from some third-world countries after two U.S. National Guard soldiers were attacked near the White House.
Iran is the only country on this list that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and this could impact their presence if the rule is not relaxed before June 2026.
Trump pushed against FIFA's ban on Israel
Legit.ng reported that Donald Trump pushed against FIFA and UEFA imposing a football ban on Israel, similar to how they did when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Trump pushed against this, but unfortunately, Israel did not qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Norway claimed the automatic ticket in Group I.
Source: Legit.ng
