By Ghazali Ibrahim
Iran’s Football Federation has accused the United States of preventing its supporters from attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup after the withdrawal of the country’s ticket allocation for group-stage matches scheduled to be played on American soil.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said it had been informed that tickets previously allocated to the federation for distribution to Iranian fans had been revoked just days before the tournament kicks off.
The federation argued that the decision contradicts FIFA’s ticketing framework, which typically reserves a portion of match tickets for participating national associations to distribute to their supporters.
FFIRI said it had already begun processing ticket requests for Iran’s group-stage fixtures against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, with many fans reportedly making travel and accommodation arrangements based on the expectation of receiving tickets through official channels.
The federation condemned the development, describing it as a violation of the principles of fairness and equal treatment that underpin international sporting events.
The dispute adds to a series of challenges surrounding Iran’s participation in the World Cup. Iranian authorities have previously raised concerns over visa restrictions affecting members of the country’s World Cup delegation, claiming that several support and administrative staff were unable to secure entry into the United States.
Amid the tensions, Iran also relocated its World Cup training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, citing logistical and diplomatic concerns.
FFIRI has called on FIFA and tournament organisers to intervene, urging them to uphold neutrality and ensure that Iranian supporters are given a fair opportunity to attend matches involving their national team.
Neither FIFA nor the US-based tournament organisers had publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
Iran are scheduled to open their 2026 World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before taking on Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26.
