Iran says World Cup ticket allocation has been withdrawn days before kickoff, leaving travelling supporters unable to attend matches.
Iran’s football federation says its allocation of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been withdrawn just days before the tournament begins, leaving supporters who had already arranged travel unable to attend the team’s matches.
The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, with Iran set to play its opening two Group G matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, before facing Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said it had already begun the ticket sales process but could no longer provide tickets to supporters.
“This is despite the fact that many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches,” the federation said.
It added: “Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.”
The federation also questioned the reasons behind the decision, saying: “This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organization of the world’s biggest football event.”
Under FIFA regulations, each participating federation receives 8% of tickets for its matches to distribute to supporters based on its own criteria.
The FFIRI did not identify who made the decision to withhold the tickets. However, it called on FIFA to uphold “the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations” and prevent off-field issues from affecting the tournament.
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran’s participation in the World Cup has faced uncertainty since the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran in late February, leading to a regional conflict. The federation subsequently moved the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico because of uncertainty surrounding US visa approvals and concerns in Iran about maintaining a limited presence in the United States.
After weeks of uncertainty, US authorities granted visas to all Iranian players last week, 10 days before their opening match, although several members of the team’s staff did not receive visas. A US official told Reuters on Friday that the administration had issued “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup”.
Earlier on Tuesday, FIFA said Secretary General Mattias Grafström had held a “positive discussion” with FFIRI President Mehdi Taj after the team arrived at its tournament base in Mexico.
“With the team now in Mexico, FIFA will continue dialogue and collaboration with the FFIRI to ensure the team and the delegation’s experience is a positive one,” Grafstrom said in a statement.