The Iranian national football federation claimed on Tuesday that FIFA has cancelled the ticket allocation meant for Iran supporters across the team’s three group-stage World Cup matches in the United States.
Under tournament rules, the governing bodies of all 48 participating nations are normally designated an 8 per cent share of stadium capacity for distribution, which translates to several thousand tickets per match.
The allegation comes just days before Iran kicks off its World Cup 2026 run on June 15 against New Zealand at the Los Angeles Rams` stadium in Inglewood.
The situation adds to the ongoing friction involving the Iranian football team, FIFA, and the tournament`s co-host, the United States, following the launch of U.S. military operations against Iran on February 28. Due to the hostilities, the Iranian national squad set up its base in the Mexican border city of Tijuana rather than its initial pre-war training site in Tucson, Arizona.
Furthermore, multiple federation representatives have faced U.S. visa denials. After their opening match against New Zealand, Iran will face Belgium in Inglewood on June 21, followed by a fixture against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Travel bans and geopolitical tensions disrupt tournament access
Federations of World Cup teams typically sell their ticket allocation to the most loyal fans who attend games at home and away. However, ordinary citizens residing in Iran were already facing a U.S. government travel ban implemented last year, making them highly unlikely to secure entry visas for the competition.
Despite these complications, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously emphasised the necessity of universal fan access back in 2017, when North American officials were actively campaigning for the co-hosting bid they secured the following year.
“It`s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions as well (that) any team, including the supporters and the officials of that team, who would qualify for a World Cup, need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup. That is obvious.” Infantino said nine years ago.
