Is it stained by diplomatic fight between North Korea and the U.S. at the draw for the World Cup...Iran Football Federation reacts hard to U.S. visa denial by boycott

Nov 29, 2025

Is it stained by diplomatic fight between North Korea and the U.S. at the draw for the World Cup...Iran Football Federation reacts hard to U.S. visa denial by boycott
FILE -A national flag of Iran waves in front of the building of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Gruber, File) FILE PHOTO

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The 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S. is expected to be stained with 'diplomatic conflict'.

Iran, which is in political and diplomatic confrontation with the United States, declared 'boycott' ahead of the draw ceremony for the North Korea-China World Cup, raising concerns that the repercussions would grow.

According to foreign media on the 29th (Korea time), the Iranian Football Federation issued a statement on the same day, announcing that it will boycott the draw ceremony for the North Korea-China World Cup scheduled for December 5th (local time).




Iran's declaration of boycott is a protest against the U.S. government. This is because some of the Iranian officials who were scheduled to attend the draw did not receive visas due to the rejection of the US authorities.

In an interview with Iranian state television, an official from the Iranian Football Federation conveyed our position to FIFA. This decision has nothing to do with sports. Members of the Iranian Federation said they would not participate in the World Cup draw."

Earlier, when it was revealed that the U.S. refused to issue visas, the Iranian Football Federation made a political decision. FIFA should tell the U.S. to stop doing this" he once accused.






This article was translated by Naver AI translator.