Iran claims United States revoked World Cup tickets for fans
- Fans unable to receive tickets for New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt matches
- Iran cites visa denials for delegation staff
- Team training camp moved from Arizona to Mexico amid ongoing disputes
The Iranian football federation accused the United States on Tuesday of blocking its supporters from attending the 2026 World Cup by revoking the team’s official ticket allocation.
The announcement comes under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row and just three days before the tournament begins.
The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) stated that the host nation acted to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting the national team’s three group-stage matches.
Broken FIFA regulations
According to governing body rules, participating federations receive an allocation of eight percent of stadium tickets for each match to distribute to their fans through official channels.
The FFIRI had already started selling these quotas to fans for upcoming matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, all scheduled to take place inside the United States.
The unexpected withdrawal of the quota means the federation is now unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team.
Iranian officials described the American move as contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.
Pre-tournament disputes
The ticket dispute is the latest hurdle in a tense buildup for the Iranian delegation.
Tehran previously reported that American authorities refused to issue visas for 15 administrative and management staff members.
While the playing squad and core support staff successfully secured visas and landed in Mexico on Sunday, the visa denials forced a major logistical change.
Due to the rising tensions, Iran abandoned its original plan to base its training camp in Tucson, Arizona, moving the team to the Mexican border city of Tijuana instead.
The FFIRI has officially called on FIFA and tournament organizers to uphold principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations to resolve the ticket issue.
Neither FIFA nor United States organizers have publicly commented on the Iranian accusations.
