Iran claims US, FIFA blocked fan tickets for World Cup 2026

Tijuana: FIFA has cancelled the ticket allotment for Iranian spectators ahead of the national team's three group-stage World Cup matches in the United States, Iran's football federation asserted Tuesday.

Under tournament regulations, each of the 48 participating soccer federations is authorised to receive and allocate 8% of stadium capacity for its matches, translating to several thousand tickets per fixture.

The announcement comes just days before Iran is scheduled to begin its World Cup campaign on June 15 against New Zealand at the Los Angeles Rams' stadium in Inglewood, California. In a statement published by semi-official state media, the Iranian federation maintained it can no longer supply any tickets to its followers.

FIFA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The development intensifies the ongoing friction involving Iranian soccer authorities, FIFA, and the United States, a tournament co-host that initiated military strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.

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Consequently, the Iranian squad has relocated its training base to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, abandoning its prewar strategy to prepare in Tucson, Arizona.

Furthermore, multiple Iranian soccer officials have been blocked from obtaining visas to enter the U.S. Following its opener, Iran is scheduled to face Belgium in Inglewood on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

National federations traditionally distribute their assigned ticket blocks to dedicated supporters who frequently travel to home and away fixtures.

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However, Iranian citizens have faced a U.S. government travel ban since last year, making it highly improbable for domestic fans to secure entry visas for the competition. It remains uncertain how many tickets from Iran's allotment had been purchased by members of the Iranian diaspora, including those residing within the U.S., since the final tournament draw took place in December.

The current restrictions stand in contrast to past assurances from soccer leadership. In 2017, as American soccer executives were organising the joint hosting bid with Canada and Mexico that succeeded the following year, FIFA President Gianni Infantino affirmed that spectator access was mandatory.

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“It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions as well (that) any team, including the supporters and the officials of that team, who would qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup,” Infantino said nine years ago. “That is obvious.”

In a related entry dispute over the weekend, a FIFA-selected match official from Somalia was blocked from entering the U.S. in Miami. On Monday, tournament officials confirmed the referee was disqualified from officiating in the 104-game tournament, which is set to begin Thursday.

With inputs from AP