Iran Announces Withdrawal of World Cup Ticket Allocation Just Days Before the Tournament

Iran has announced that the allocation of World Cup tickets has been revoked just days before the kickoff, leaving traveling supporters unable to attend the matches.

Iran’s football federation has announced that its allocation of tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been revoked just days before the tournament starts, leaving supporters who had already made travel arrangements unable to attend the team’s matches.

The World Cup begins on Thursday, with Iran scheduled to play its first two Group G matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

On Tuesday, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) announced that it had initiated the ticket sales process but was unable to offer tickets to supporters any longer.

“This is despite the fact that many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches,” stated the federation.

It stated: “Denying Iranian supporters access to their rightful and official allocation of tickets contradicts the spirit that governs international competitions and the principle of equality among participating nations.”

The federation also questioned the reasons behind the decision, stating: “This development raises serious concerns regarding the influence of non-sporting and political factors in the organization of the world’s largest football event.”

According to FIFA regulations, each participating federation is allocated 8% of tickets for its matches, which they can distribute to supporters according to their criteria.

The FFIRI did not disclose who was responsible for the decision to withhold the tickets. However, it urged FIFA to maintain “the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations” and to ensure that off-field issues do not impact the tournament.

FIFA has not yet provided a response to the request for comment.

Iran’s involvement in the World Cup has been clouded by uncertainty following air strikes by the US and Israel on Iran in late February, which have sparked a regional conflict. The federation subsequently relocated the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico due to uncertainties regarding US visa approvals and concerns in Iran about sustaining a limited presence in the United States.

After weeks of uncertainty, US authorities granted visas to all Iranian players last week, just 10 days before their opening match, although several members of the team’s staff did not receive visas. A US official informed Reuters on Friday that the administration had granted “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup.”

On Tuesday, FIFA announced that Secretary General Mattias Grafström engaged in a “positive discussion” with FFIRI President Mehdi Taj following the team’s arrival at its tournament base in Mexico.

“With the team now in Mexico, FIFA will maintain communication and cooperation with the FFIRI to guarantee that the team and the delegation have a positive experience,” Grafstrom stated.