Iran Take U-TURN on FIFA World Cup Draw BOYCOTT CALL

There is a massive sigh of relief among all parties involved when Iran confirmed they will now be participating in the upcoming FIFA World Cup draw. Earlier, Iran refused to attend the event and threatened to boycott the event due to diplomatic tensions. As the FIFA World Cup draw nears, the question now remains, “Is Iran participating in FIFA World Cup draw 2026?”

Iran Make Huge Decision Ahead Of FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw

The Iran National Football Team qualified for the World Cup 2026 to be hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico. They sealed a fourth qualification at the showpiece event in March. Every qualified nation takes pride in participating in the FIFA World Cup Draw, which is as prestigious as the main event itself. However, on Friday, November 28th, Iranian sports website Vazresh revealed that Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian federation, did not receive a visa approval from the United States for his visit. In response to this alleged political act, Iran revealed that they would boycott the World Cup Draw event. The simmering political tensions could've boiled over had the boycott gone through. But now, it appears that fans will be able to see Iran in World Cup 2026 Draw.

A late U-turn saw the board release a statement that confirmed they will, of course, attend the FIFA World Cup Draw. Amir Ghalenoei, head coach of Iran's national team, will participate in the World Cup draw ceremony as the technical representative of the national football team with one or two other people," the Iranian Football Federation spokesperson told state television.

With the head coach marking his attendance, a sense of normalcy is expected to resume at the FIFA World Cup Draw.

All Eyes on FIFA World Cup 2026 Draw

As now, we have already answered "“Is Iran participating in FIFA World Cup draw 2026?”, let's take a look at the details of the event. The FIFA World Cup Draw of the newly expanded 42-team competition will take place on Friday, 5th December 2025. The John F.Kennedey Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. will host the event at 12:00 ET. The first game of the 2026 World Cup will take place at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico. The host countries will be assigned A1, B1 and D1 positions.

A total of 36 teams have already qualified for the tournament, and the remaining six teams will be locked after the final playoff games in March. The path of all the 42 teams will be revealed on Friday.

All eyes will be on a potential matchup between the USA National Football Team and Iran in the current political climate. The USMNT emerged victorious in Qatar during their previous meeting at the 2022 World Cup. This time, if the two teams face each other, the Iran national football team will be keen to turn the tables.