Iran’s Football Federation has accused World Cup organizers of unfairly denying its supporters access to tickets just days before the start of the tournament.

In a statement released on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the federation said it had already begun distributing its official ticket allocation for Iran’s group-stage matches before being informed that the allocation had been withdrawn.

The decision has left many Iranian fans stranded after making travel arrangements to attend the tournament in the United States.

"Many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches," the federation said.

Iran argued that denying its supporters access to their designated tickets undermines the principles of fairness and equality that should govern international competitions.

"Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries," the statement added.

The federation further suggested that political considerations may have influenced the decision.

"This development raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the organization of the world's biggest football event," it said.

Under FIFA regulations, each participating federation is entitled to receive eight percent of the tickets for its matches to distribute to supporters according to its own criteria.

The Iranian federation did not identify who was responsible for withdrawing the allocation but called on FIFA to uphold its principles of neutrality and fairness.

"We urge FIFA to adhere to the principles of neutrality, fairness and established regulations and to prevent off-field issues from casting a shadow over the tournament," the federation stated.

The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding Iran's participation in the World Cup following the regional conflict triggered by U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran earlier this year.

Those tensions also affected the team's preparations, forcing the federation to relocate its base camp from Arizona to Mexico because of uncertainty surrounding U.S. visa approvals.

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Although all Iranian players were eventually granted visas last week, several members of the team's backroom staff reportedly remain without clearance to enter the United States.

Iran will begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.

PAH/JE

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