Iran says US revoked its World Cup ticket allocation

Iran's football federation announced on Tuesday that its entire ticket allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been withdrawn, leaving Iranian supporters who had already arranged travel unable to attend their national team's group stage matches.

Ticket Allocation Pulled Days Before Kickoff

The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said in a statement that the ticket quota it had been selling through its official website was revoked by the United States, accusing the co-host nation of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters amid a bitter diplomatic row.aljazeera+2

Under standard FIFA rules, 8% of ticket capacity for each match is allocated to the participating federations so fans can purchase tickets directly. The FFIRI had begun selling tickets for Iran's Group G matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt through its official channels before the allocation was pulled.rte

"In an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team," the FFIRI said. The federation described the decision as "contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries".abc+1

Escalating Diplomatic Tensions

The ticket dispute is the latest in a series of confrontations over Iran's participation in the tournament. Last week, Iran's federation accused the United States of "vindictive behavior" after visas were refused for 14 backroom staff and officials, including the FFIRI's secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini and vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, according to ESPN. That accusation came just hours after U.S. officials confirmed that Iranian players had been granted visas to enter and compete.bbc+2

Rising tensions also prompted Iran to relocate its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.rte

FIFA and US Silent

Neither FIFA nor US tournament organizers have publicly commented on the Iranian accusation. The FFIRI called on FIFA and organizers "to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations, to provide the necessary conditions for Iranian supporters".rte

Iran open their campaign against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium in the same city on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.seatgeek+1