Iran’s football federation has confirmed that its allocation of fan tickets for the World Cup group stage has been revoked just days before the tournament begins.
The World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, gets underway on Thursday, with Iran set to face New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, both in Los Angeles.
Iran will then play their final group game against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June, rounding off what has been an extraordinarily turbulent build-up to the tournament.
Under Fifa regulations, each participating federation is entitled to 8% of the available tickets for each of their matches, to be distributed to their own supporters.
Iran’s governing body, the FFIRI, states it had already begun selling tickets to fans, some of whom have made travel arrangements based on the expectation of attending the games.
“Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit of governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries,” the FFIRI statement said.
“This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world’s biggest football event,” the federation added.
The FFIRI also called on Fifa “to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations” in what amounts to a direct public challenge to the game’s governing body.
Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has been mired in uncertainty throughout, with ongoing tensions in the Middle East and related security concerns casting a shadow over their involvement.
On 25 May, Iran relocated their training base from Tucson, Arizona to the Mexican city of Tijuana, with the federation claiming the United States were unwilling to host them.
The terms of their visas mean the squad must fly in and out of the United States on matchday for each of their three group fixtures, adding significant logistical strain.
On 6 June, the FFIRI accused the US of denying visas to “integral” members of the national team’s backroom staff, with 15 administrative officials refused entry to the country.
The federation had previously presented Fifa with a list of 10 conditions for their participation, including permission for players and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran’s players would be welcome at the tournament, but warned that individuals with links to the IRGC could face entry restrictions.
Iran were the only nation absent from Fifa’s annual congress in Vancouver in April, after a delegation of FFIRI officials, including president Medhi Taj, were turned away at the Canadian border.
