FIFA Revokes Iran's World Cup Ticket Allocation Amid U.S. Tensions

FIFA has revoked the ticket allocation for Iranian fans for all three of their matches in the 2026 World Cup, according to the Iranian national football federation. Each participating nation is entitled to 8% of stadium capacity for their games, amounting to thousands of tickets per match.

With Iran's debut match against New Zealand scheduled for June 15 in Inglewood, California, the federation announced it could no longer provide tickets to its supporters. FIFA has not yet responded to requests for comment. This situation intensifies the existing strain between Iranian football, FIFA, and the United States, a co-host that has engaged in military actions against Iran.

The Iranian national team has relocated its base camp to Tijuana, Mexico, instead of Tucson, Arizona, as initially planned before the conflict escalated. Several officials from the Iranian federation have been denied visas to enter the United States, where the team is also set to play Belgium and Egypt in the group stage.

Typically, World Cup participating federations sell their ticket allocations to their most loyal fans. However, U.S. travel bans have made it difficult for residents of Iran to obtain entry permits. It remains unclear how many tickets from Iran's quota were sold to the country's diaspora, including those living in the U.S., since the World Cup draw in December.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated in 2017 that fans should have access to the tournament, saying, "It is evident that when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team – including the supporters and officials of that team – that qualifies for a World Cup needs to have access to the country, otherwise, there is no World Cup."

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It is evident that when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team – including the supporters and officials of that team – that qualifies for a World Cup needs to have access to the country, otherwise, there is no World Cup.