FIFA has reportedly withdrawn the ticket allocation granted to Iranian supporters for the team’s matches at the upcoming World Cup in the United States, according to a statement from Iran’s football federation on Tuesday.
Under standard FIFA regulations, each participating federation is entitled to receive and distribute approximately 8% of stadium capacity for matches involving their national team. This allocation typically amounts to several thousand tickets per game and is used by federations to prioritise travelling supporters.
However, the Iranian federation said it has now been informed that it is unable to provide any tickets to its fans for the team’s three group-stage matches. Iran are scheduled to begin their campaign on 15 June at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood against New Zealand.
In a statement carried by semi-official Iranian media, the federation suggested that external political conditions had influenced the decision, alleging that “the United States has now taken steps to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums.”
It added that the situation raises broader concerns about governance of the tournament, stating: “This incident raises serious questions about the influence of non-sporting and political considerations on the organization of the world’s biggest football event.”
FIFA, which retains full authority over World Cup ticketing operations, said it is engaging with Iranian football authorities to resolve the issue. In a statement, the organisation said it is “working closely with the IR Iran Football Federation to identify compliant solutions that maximise opportunities for Iranian supporters to attend matches.”
The dispute comes amid heightened political and logistical tensions between Iranian football authorities, FIFA, and the United States as co-host nation. Iranian officials have also reportedly faced visa restrictions, while broader travel limitations continue to affect Iranian citizens under existing U.S. policy.
Further complicating preparations, some members of Iran’s delegation are reportedly unable to travel to the United States. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA task force, said Iranian teams would still be permitted to enter the country shortly before matches, while acknowledging that certain individuals linked to the federation would be excluded.
He stated: “The president has been clear on this one… he wants to make sure that they have every opportunity to compete on a level playing field here, while also making sure that people that are directly working, let’s say, with the IRGC have no ability to access the United States of America.”
Giuliani also suggested that while logistical arrangements were being made for the team, some officials would not be granted entry, noting that “there are some people that claim that they are coaches that may not be coaches.”
Iran’s squad has also faced disrupted preparations, with most domestic-based players reportedly without competitive match action since February due to domestic league disruptions. The team has relocated its base to Tijuana, Mexico, instead of its originally planned training camp in Arizona.
The situation has drawn criticism from football governance observers. Piara Powar, executive director of the Fare Network, questioned the broader implications for tournament integrity, stating: “The disruption is such that one has to ask who is running the World Cup. Is it FIFA or is it the U.S. government with its racially charged immigration policies?”
He added: “Before a ball has been kicked, the sense that this World Cup is anything but the celebration of global humanity a World Cup should be is beginning to take over.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously maintained that access for fans is a core principle of the tournament, stating in earlier remarks: “It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions… 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.”
FIFA has not yet publicly confirmed whether Iran’s ticket allocation has been formally revoked or whether alternative arrangements for supporters will be implemented.