Iran's football federation says its allocation of fan tickets for the group stage of the World Cup has been revoked days before the tournament begins — the latest flashpoint in an escalating diplomatic stand-off between Tehran and the United States. The World Cup, co‑hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, kicks off Thursday; Iran are scheduled to play New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, both in Los Angeles, before facing Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
Under Fifa regulations, each participating federation receives 8% of tickets for each of their matches to distribute to supporters. The Iranian federation (FFIRI) said it had already begun selling tickets but can no longer provide them — meaning some fans who have already made travel arrangements will be left without access to 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 said in a statement. It also called on Fifa "to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations". The statement added that the development "raises serious questions about the interference of non‑sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world's biggest football event".
“Iran's World Cup fan tickets revoked days before tournament amid US visa row.”
Iran's involvement in the tournament has been plagued by uncertainty, linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East and related security concerns. On 25 May, Iran moved their training base from Tucson, Arizona to the Mexican city of Tijuana, claiming the US were unwilling to host them. Under the conditions of their visas, players and staff must fly in and out of the United States on each matchday for the three group games. Less than a fortnight later, on 6 June, they accused the US of denying visas to "integral" members of the national team's backroom staff — 15 administrative officials were denied entry.
The FFIRI had previously presented Fifa with a list of ten conditions for their participation, including allowing players, coaches and officials who have completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said Iran's players will be welcome at the tournament but individuals with links to the IRGC could face entry restrictions. Iran were the only country not present at 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.
Amid the escalating tensions, a prominent watchdog group has urged the US government to deny or revoke visas for the entire Iranian national team. A regime commander has declared the tournament a "battlefield". With the first match against New Zealand just days away, Iranian supporters face the prospect of watching from afar — if they can get tickets at all.