Iran’s Football Federation has claimed that the United States has withdrawn ticket allocations meant for Iranian fans for the group-stage matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, raising concerns over access for supporters of the national team.
According to the American news agency Associated Press (AP), the Iranian federation said in a statement issued on Tuesday that FIFA rules typically grant each participating team’s federation 8 per cent of stadium capacity as a ticket quota for distribution among its fans.
The federation said Iran had also been allocated tickets for its group-stage matches, but the quota was reportedly revoked by the Trump administration just days before the start of the tournament, making it impossible to distribute tickets to Iranian supporters.
Iran said the move reinforces concerns that non-sporting and political factors are influencing the world’s biggest football event. It also alleged that the decision reflects efforts to limit the presence of Iranian fans in stadiums.
The Iranian federation further stated that FIFA controls ticket sales and distribution, but no immediate response has been issued by FIFA regarding the claim.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to begin on June 12, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Iran is among the participating teams and will play all of its group-stage matches in the United States.
Iran will begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 15 in Inglewood, California, followed by matches against Belgium on June 21 at the same venue and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
Iranian officials had initially planned to set up a training camp in Tucson, Arizona, but later shifted their base to the border city of Tijuana, Mexico.
Iranian football authorities also said that visas for some of their administrative officials were not issued by the United States, affecting team operations.
Meanwhile, other visa-related controversies have emerged involving World Cup personnel. Reports say a FIFA-nominated Somali referee was denied entry into the US, while an Iraqi player was detained for several hours upon arrival. An Iraqi team photographer was also reportedly refused entry.
The Fair Network, a FIFA anti-discrimination monitoring partner, raised concerns over the situation, questioning whether the World Cup is being run by FIFA or shaped by US immigration policy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had said in 2017 that all qualified teams, their officials, and fans should be granted entry into the host country, warning that restrictions could undermine the purpose of the tournament.
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