Soccer (FIFA)
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 hours agoIran to attend World Cup draw after reversing its planned boycott
Iran will attend the World Cup draw in Washington D.C. after securing visas for some delegation members despite earlier visa denials.
But federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi told YJC.ir, a news agency affiliated with Iran's state TV, that Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei would attend the event together with one or two staff members to ensure Iran's seat is not left vacant. Alavi said that Ghalenoei's attendance was purely technical and did not amount to walking back the federation's protest. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration announced in June a travel ban on citizens from 12 countries including Iran.