- The Iranian Football authorities have accused the US of acting contrary to the spirit of international sporting competition ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Persian Lions, who have been drawn in Group H, will begin their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15
- Some fans have called on Iran to withdraw from the tournament, arguing that doing so could help the team avoid further potential repercussions
The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) has allegedly accused the United States of revoking its allocation of tickets for Iran’s group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Persian Lions claim the move has prevented many Iranian supporters from attending the tournament amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Relations between the United States and Iran have remained strained in recent months, with reports also suggesting that some members of Iran’s support staff encountered visa-related difficulties ahead of the competition.
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Source: Getty Images
FFIRI releases strong statement
The Iranian Football Federation stated that FIFA regulations entitle participating nations to receive eight percent of the ticket allocation for each of their matches.
According to Al Jazeera, the federation said this allocation is intended to allow national associations to distribute tickets to their supporters through official channels.
FFIRI further explained that it had already begun preparations for ticket sales for Iran’s group-stage fixtures against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt before the alleged decision was communicated.
The federation maintains that access to tickets for fans is an important part of the World Cup experience and has called for the matter to be resolved in accordance with FIFA’s regulations. The statement read:
“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.
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“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team,” per NBC News.
Mixed reactions trail US move
Fans have reacted to the alleged withdrawal of match tickets by the US government from the Iranian Football Federation. Read them below:
@KC_snr said:
“Infantino’s legacy. A world cup that disadvantaged certain teams before even kicking the ball. Unfair! Infantino must resign with immediate effect.”
@MoyaProf wrote:
“US doesn’t deserve to hold @FIFAWorldCup, if FIFA had any backbone they would have cancelled and relocated to a more peaceful and stable country.”
Source: Getty Images
@Oyango_ added:
“Iran should boycott their games at this point, let all those Americans and their would be opponents who bought tickets suffer the financial losses. This is unfair treatment, also why didn’t FIFA schedule their matches in Mexico? Its not like Iran was going far in the tournament. Shameful.”
@king_ndommmm said:
“Iran had one job, to boycott the bloody World Cup, other teams would have followed but they decided stay in Mexico while playing in US.”
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FIFA bans Russia from 2026 World Cup
Legit.ng earlier reported that the only country that is banned from the World Cup in 2026 is Russia, as the country was suspended for their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since the suspension, they cannot take part in competitive football but have played friendlies.
Source: Legit.ng