Iran’s World Cup Fan Ticket Allocation Revoked

The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that the ticket allocation designated for the federation for the 2026 World Cup matches has been revoked, and fans of the national team can no longer purchase tickets through the federation’s official channel.

In a statement released on Tuesday, June 9, the Iranian Football Federation criticized the decision, announcing that with only a few days left until the start of the tournament, the ticket allocation designated for the national team’s fans had been canceled, an issue that, according to the federation, has disrupted the plans of many fans intending to attend the matches.

The Iranian Football Federation emphasized that, according to FIFA procedures, approximately eight per cent of the ticket capacity for each match is allocated to participating federations in the World Cup to be distributed to fans through official channels. Accordingly, the sale of tickets for the Iranian national team’s matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt had already begun through the federation’s official website.

The statement noted that despite fewer than three days remaining until the start of the matches, this allocation has been taken away from Iran, making it impossible to supply tickets through the federation. The Football Federation described the move as “contrary to the spirit of international competitions and the principle of equality among participating nations,” viewing it as a form of depriving Iranian fans of access to their legal ticket allocation.

This issue has come to light while the Iranian national team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has been accompanied by political and administrative controversies for weeks. Previously, the United States issued visas for all 26 players of the Iranian national team, but more than 10 members of the support staff and federation officials, including Football Federation President Mehdi Taj, failed to obtain visas.

The Iranian Football Federation has also accused the United States of “sabotage” regarding the presence of Iranian fans in the tournament stadiums. So far, FIFA and the 2026 World Cup Organizing Committee have not issued any official reaction to the claim regarding the revocation of the Iranian fans’ ticket allocation.