The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran issued a statement condemning the United States, a co-host of the 2026 World Cup, after it abruptly canceled Iran's entire ticket quota for the group stage matches, resulting in no tickets being allocated to Iranian fans.
The Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) officially issued a statement strongly criticizing the U.S. government, accusing the United States—one of the co-host nations of this World Cup—of canceling the rights and ticket quotas for Iranian fans in the group stage. This act is viewed as a deliberate obstruction and exclusion preventing Iranians from participating in the world’s biggest football event amid escalating national political tensions.
This development comes amid ongoing hostilities between the two countries following the U.S. and Israel’s military attacks on Iran in late February. The FFIRI stated that the U.S. has created numerous bureaucratic obstacles, including previously denying visas to over 15 Iranian national team officials and management personnel.
The FFIRI's statement said, "With less than three days remaining before the official start of the 2026 World Cup, the United States has again acted to block Iranian national team supporters from attending all three group stage matches."
According to FIFA regulations, each participating national team is allocated tickets amounting to 8 percent of the stadium's capacity to distribute and sell to their fans through official channels. Iran confirmed it had received this quota and began selling tickets to fans planning to attend matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt—all scheduled to be held on U.S. soil. However, all these tickets were subsequently revoked.
The federation added, "The ticket quota allocated to the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran has been completely withdrawn, and under current circumstances, the federation cannot provide a single ticket to supporters of the national team." It further criticized the U.S. action as contrary to the spirit of international sportsmanship and a violation of the principles of equality among member nations. The federation called on FIFA and the organizing committee to uphold neutrality and restore fairness to Iranian fans.
To date, neither FIFA nor the U.S. organizing committee has issued any statements in response or clarification regarding Iran's allegations.
The ticket dispute is the latest conflict involving the Iranian national team in this tournament, amid escalating war and security concerns. Previously, Iran decided to relocate its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, in the U.S. to Tijuana, a border city in Mexico, to ensure athlete safety and avoid U.S. immigration issues.
Iran’s group stage schedule at the 2026 World Cup includes its first match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by a match against Belgium also in Los Angeles on 21 June, and concluding the group stage against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
. AFP