Iranian players and support staff obtained U.S. visas and entered Mexico on Sunday for the World Cup, but now fans have questions.
Published June 9, 2026
The Iranian Football Federation announced that the United States had canceled its ticket allocation for its team’s World Cup group matches after the co-host country blocked Iranian supporters from entering the country amid a bitter diplomatic spat.
“With less than three days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup, the United States has once again taken action to prevent Iranian supporters from attending the stadium that will host the national team’s three group stage matches,” FFIRI said in a statement on Tuesday.
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The United States has posed several bureaucratic hurdles to Iran during the global soccer spectacle, including denying visas to some of its support staff, as the two countries have been effectively at war since the Feb. 28 attack on Iran.
The Iranian Football Association said that according to FIFA regulations, eight percent of tickets for each match will be allocated and given to participating federations for distribution to supporters through official channels.
After receiving the allocation, FFIRI has already started selling tickets for group stage matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in the United States, and some fans have already made the necessary arrangements, the statement said.
“However, as an unexpected step, the quota given to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and in the current situation the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to the supporters of the national team.”
FFIRI called the move “contrary to the spirit that governs international competitions and the principle of equality between participating countries.”
It also called on FIFA and the tournament organizers to “adhere to the principles of neutrality, impartiality and established regulations and provide the necessary conditions for Iranian supporters.”
Neither FIFA nor the US organizers have publicly commented on Iran’s accusations.
The complaint is the latest dispute related to Iran’s participation in the World Cup, where the Iranian government says visa issues have prevented about 15 administrative and administrative staff from the delegation from entering the United States.
As tensions escalated, Iran announced it would move its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, US, to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, as originally planned.
Iran opens against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, then faces Belgium in the same city on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
