Iran Football Federation Says FIFA Revoked World Cup Ticket Allocation for U.S. Group Games

Iran’s football federation says FIFA revoked the ticket allocation for fans at the team’s three World Cup group-stage games in the United States, leaving it “unable to provide any tickets to its supporters” just days before Iran opens its World Cup on June 15 in Inglewood against New Zealand.

“Iran’s football federation has said the United States has revoked its allocation of tickets for its team’s World Cup group games, accusing the cohost of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row”

Al Jazeera

The Seattle Times reports the federation said FIFA revoked the allocation for Iran’s group matches in the U.S., and it frames the dispute as part of tensions between Iranian soccer, FIFA, and tournament co-host the U.S. after “military attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.”

Al Jazeera

The federation’s claim is tied to FIFA’s ticketing rules, with each federation for the 48 teams entitled to receive and distribute 8% of stadium capacity for each game, and the federation says the withdrawal came “in an unexpected move” with less than three days remaining.

The Los Angeles Times adds that the federation said it had scheduled the June 15 match against New Zealand in Inglewood, then June 21 against Belgium in Inglewood and June 26 against Egypt in Seattle, and that the federation said it could no longer provide tickets to supporters who had booked flights and accommodations.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and its CEO-like secretary general Mattias Grafström each promised logistical support in face-to-face meetings with Iranian soccer officials in Turkey, while FIFA said it is “working closely with the IR Iran Football Federation to identify compliant solutions that maximize opportunities for Iranian supporters to attend matches.”

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA task force, said Tuesday that the Iranian team would be able to enter the U.S. the day before their match and emphasized that Tijuana was a short flight to Los Angeles, adding that “there are some people that claim that they are coaches that may not be coaches.”

CBC

The dispute over access extended beyond tickets, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied U.S. entry after arriving at Miami International Airport from Istanbul, and that U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns.”

The Seattle Times also notes that some federation officials have been denied visas to enter the U.S., and it says the claim about ticket obstruction raised “serious questions about the influence of non-sporting and political considerations” in organizing the World Cup.

The Iranian team’s immediate schedule remains fixed in the sources, with Iran set to play New Zealand on June 15 in Inglewood, Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle, after the federation said it could not provide even a single ticket to supporters.

“Iran soccer body says its fans’ World Cup tickets were revoked; Somali referee denied entry into U”

Los Angeles Times

The Seattle Times reports that most of Iran’s 26-man squad has not had a competitive game since February because their domestic league was shut down by the war, and it says they are now based in the Mexican border city of Tijuana instead of a pre-war plan to train in Tucson, Arizona.

The Truthout account says the federation blamed the U.S. for the sudden restriction and quoted its statement that “With less than three days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup … the United States has once again acted to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting the national team’s three group stage matches.”

In the same dispute, the Al Jazeera report says the federation called on FIFA and tournament organisers “to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations,” and it describes the ticket withdrawal as leaving the federation unable “to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team.”