Iran’s Football Federation has accused the United States of preventing Iranian supporters from attending the country’s World Cup matches after reportedly revoking its allocation of tickets for the tournament’s group-stage games.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the federation said the decision came less than three days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The federation alleged that Washington has imposed several bureaucratic obstacles on Iran’s participation in the tournament, including delays and refusals in issuing visas to some members of its support staff. The move comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries following military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against 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.
According to the Iranian football body, FIFA regulations entitle participating federations to receive eight percent of tickets for each match for distribution to their supporters through official channels.
The federation said it had already begun selling tickets for Iran’s group-stage fixtures against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt — all scheduled to be played in the United States — after receiving its allocation. It added that many supporters had already made travel and accommodation arrangements.
“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team,” the statement said.
Iran described the decision as being “contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries.”
