Overview
- The draw starts at 18:00 CET (12:00 local) at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
- Iran reversed its boycott over visa refusals and will be represented by coach Amir Ghalenoei, with reports that FFIRI president Mehdi Taj was among those denied visas.
- President Donald Trump will attend, and his administration’s visa curbs plus a proposed “FIFA pass” would only speed appointment scheduling rather than guarantee entry, officials say.
- FIFA’s expanded format sets 48 teams into 12 groups of four, with pots confirmed: France is seeded in pot 1, Iran in pot 2, and hosts pre-assigned to Groups A (Mexico), B (Canada) and D (United States).
- Organizers continue to face uncertainty as Trump has threatened to move matches over security concerns in some host cities, complicating planning.