FIFA to award new peace prize at World Cup draw in Washington<\/a><\/p>\nThe ban includes exceptions for World Cup athletes, coaches, \u201cpersons performing a necessary support role\u201d and their immediate relatives. Fans, a major source of tourism revenue for any World Cup event, from those banned nations cannot enter.<\/p>\n
Iran has said it will boycott the draw at the Kennedy Center after visas were denied to key members of its delegation. But its soccer federation says the coach, Amir Ghalenoei, will be there with one or two staff members to ensure Iran\u2019s seat is not left vacant.<\/p>\n
Federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi told YJC.ir, a news agency affiliated with Iran\u2019s state TV, on Wednesday that Ghalenoei\u2019s attendance was purely technical and did not amount to walking back the federation\u2019s protest.<\/p>\n
Alavi said in initially announcing the boycott that federation officials faced visa obstacles that went beyond sports considerations. The White House referred comment on the matter to the State Department, which said the administration is committed to supporting the World Cup while upholding U.S. law and ensuring national security and public safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cPart of the delegation got approved and part of the delegation did not get approved,\u201d Giuliani said. \u201cEvery single decision is a national security decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
The visa denials came despite assurances earlier this year by Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president who has close ties to Trump and is a frequent White House visitor. In October, he told reporters at a European Football Clubs assembly in Rome that \u201cthere will be no issues with regard to visas obviously for the participating teams and delegations and so on. And we are working on something for fans, hopefully some good news will come out very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
A World Cup balancing act<\/p>\n
The White House has emphasized it is pouring resources to expedite visa processing elsewhere for fans coming to 48-nation tournament, with the majority of the matches held across 11 U.S. cities.<\/p>\n
Rep. Darin LaHood, who has participated in multiple FIFA task force meetings at the White House this year and is one of Capitol Hill\u2019s most avid soccer fans, pointed to shortened visa wait times as proof of the administration \u201cwanting to make this work and wanting people to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think sports and the World Cup transcends politics,\u201d said LaHood R-Ill. He said FIFA will be part of a new public relations campaign featuring soccer legends emphasizing the welcoming nature of the United States.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has to be a welcoming message of people feeling comfortable to come to the United States,\u201d LaHood said. \u201cI think you\u2019ll start to see that after the draw and things are set.\u201d<\/p>\n
The State Department has deployed more than 400 additional consular officers to handle global visa demand, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that in about 80% of the world, travelers to the U.S. can get a visa appointment within 60 days. A new system, \u201cFIFA Pass,\u201d allows those who have purchased World Cup tickets through FIFA to get expedited visa appointments.<\/p>\n
Yet there have been very visceral reminders of how the administration\u2019s immigration crackdown could interfere with World Cup events.<\/p>\n
During the Club World Cup tournament this summer, Alex Lasry, the CEO of the New York\/New Jersey World Cup host committee, noticed official government social media posts warning that federal immigration agents would be \u201csuited and booted\u201d at the matches. Lasry recalled that he immediately flagged the issue to Giuliani, who assured him that the agents\u2019 presence would be the same as at any other major event.<\/p>\n
Asked on Wednesday about the possibility of immigration raids at World Cup matches, Giuliani told reporters that Trump \u201cdoes not rule out anything that will help make American citizens safer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Disappointed fans from Haiti<\/p>\n
Some fans are already confronting the reality that they will not be able to travel to the United States.<\/p>\n
Rich Andr\u00e9, the director of state and local initiatives at the American Immigration Council, is the son of immigrants from Haiti, a \u201csoccer-crazed nation\u201d that qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 50 years. He said many Haitians would love nothing more than to come to the U.S. for the World Cup, but likely will not get the chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly, they\u2019re trying to create a carve-out here so the show can go on,\u201d Andr\u00e9 said, pointing to the exemptions for athletes, coaches and others close to the team. \u201cBut the show doesn\u2019t go on without the fans being able to come and cheer their team on in person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva, and AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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