US Cancels World Cup Tickets for Iranian Fans

Iran’s football federation said on Tuesday that the United States has canceled its ticket allocation for the World Cup group games. They accused the US of blocking Iranian fans from attending due to ongoing diplomatic tensions.

The US has created several bureaucratic issues for Iran during this major football event. This includes not granting visas to some support staff. The two countries still have issues after the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

“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,” the federation said in a statement.

The Iranian football body mentioned that FIFA rules state they should receive eight percent of tickets for each match. These tickets are given to federations to distribute to their fans through official channels.

According to the statement, Iran had started selling tickets for group stage matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. All these matches will take place in the US, and some fans had already made plans.

“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team,” it said.

The federation called this decision “contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.” They urged FIFA and the tournament organizers to maintain neutrality, fairness, and follow the rules that allow Iranian supporters to attend.

So far, neither FIFA nor US organizers have responded to Iran's claims.

This latest complaint adds to ongoing issues about Iran’s participation in the World Cup. Tehran says that visa problems have stopped about 15 staff members from entering the US.

Due to rising tensions, Iran has also decided to move its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona, to the Mexican city of Tijuana.

Iran will kick off its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They will then face Belgium in the same city on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.