Iran’s football federation says its World Cup ticket allocation has been withdrawn just days before the tournament begins, leaving supporters who had already arranged travel unable to attend matches.
Iran’s Football Federation (FFIRI) has claimed that its allocation of World Cup tickets has been withdrawn just days before the start of the tournament, creating uncertainty for supporters planning to attend the competition.
The World Cup gets underway on Thursday, with Iran set to begin its Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team will then face Belgium on June 21 before concluding the group stage against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
In an official statement, the federation revealed that it had already started distributing tickets through the approved process but was later informed that it could no longer provide them to Iranian fans.
Iranian Football Federation announces the 8% ticket quota allocated to Iran has been revoked by the U.S., leaving the federation currently unable to distribute tickets to supporters.
A case study in political interference, discrimination and FIFA looking the other way. pic.twitter.com/UsU3g2t3Ui
— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) June 9, 2026
The FFIRI expressed concern that many supporters had already arranged travel, accommodation, and other logistics based on the expectation that they would receive tickets through the federation’s allocation.
According to tournament regulations, every participating federation receives eight percent of the tickets for each of its matches, allowing national associations to distribute them to supporters according to their own criteria.
Iran argues that denying access to this allocation goes against the principles of fairness and equal treatment among competing nations.
The federation stopped short of naming who made the decision but suggested that political considerations may have influenced the process. It urged FIFA to uphold neutrality and ensure that off-field issues do not affect the tournament experience for players and supporters.
Before the start of the 2026 World Cup:
1. Iraqi player Ayman Hussein was detained at the airport for 7 hours.
2. The Iraqi national team photographer was denied entry without any reason and returned to his country.
3. Somali referee Omar Abdulqadir was denied entry without… pic.twitter.com/1gnXs1cJrY
— نواف الاسيوي 🇸🇦 (@football_li5) June 9, 2026
Iran’s preparations for the World Cup have already been complicated by geopolitical tensions. The federation previously moved the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico amid concerns over visa approvals and a desire to limit the squad’s time in the United States during the competition.
Despite those challenges, FIFA has continued discussions with Iranian officials. Secretary General Mattias Grafström recently met with FFIRI president Mehdi Taj and reaffirmed FIFA’s commitment to working closely with the federation.
FIFA stated that it will maintain dialogue with Iran to help ensure a positive experience for the team and its delegation throughout the World Cup.
