JAKARTA – FIFA has revoked the allocation of tickets for Iranian supporters in three 2026 World Cup matches to be held in the United States (US).
Each federation for the 48 participating teams is entitled to receive and distribute 8 percent of the stadium capacity at the 2026 World Cup, which amounts to several thousand tickets for each match.
Just days before Iran begin their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 16, 2026 morning WIB at the Los Angeles Rams Stadium, Inglewood, against New Zealand, the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) claimed in a statement that they are now unable to provide any tickets to their supporters.
FIFA has so far not clarified the cancellation of the ticket allocation.
The claim adds to the chaos between Iranian football, FIFA, and the tournament’s co-hosts, the US, which began a joint military offensive with Israel against Iran on February 28, 2026.
FIFA has full authority over the sale of tickets at the 2026 World Cup. However, FFIRI stated that the United States has now taken steps to hinder the presence of Iranian supporters in the stadium.
“This incident raises serious questions about the influence of non-sporting and political considerations on the organization of the world’s largest football event,” FFIRI said.
FIFA said in a statement on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, that it was working closely with the Iranian Football Federation to identify appropriate solutions, which would maximize the opportunity for Iranian supporters to attend matches.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström have each pledged logistical support in face-to-face meetings with FFIRI officials in Turkey in recent weeks.
Most of the 26 players in the Iranian squad have not played a competitive match since February 2026 as they play for clubs in the domestic league which was closed due to the war.
They are now based in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, instead of plans to train in Tucson, Arizona. This is the team’s seventh appearance at the World Cup.
Meanwhile, several FFIRI officials were also denied visas to enter the US, where Iran will also play against Belgium in Inglewood on June 21, 2026 and then Egypt in Seattle on June 26, 2026 local time.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on FIFA, said the same day that Iran would be able to enter the US a day before the match and stressed that the flight from Tijuana was a short trip to Los Angeles.
He confirmed that some FFIRI officials would not come. Although he refused to discuss the details, Giuliani added that there were some people who claimed to be coaches who might not be coaches.
“The president has made it clear that he wants to make sure that they have every opportunity to compete on a level playing field here, while also making sure that people who are directly working, say, with the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps) do not have the ability to access the United States,” Giuliani said, referring to the IRGC.
Fans who want to come to the US to watch Iran are likely to face problems in getting visas and making payments while financial sanctions are in place.
The federation of teams participating in the 2026 World Cup usually sells their ticket allocation to the most loyal fans who attend home and away matches.
“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation given to FFIRI has been withdrawn. In the current state, the federation cannot even offer a single ticket to Iranian national team supporters,” said FFIRI.
Iranian citizens have been banned from traveling by the US Government since last year and will most likely not get entry visas for the 2026 World Cup.
It is unclear how many tickets in Iran’s allocation have been sold since the tournament draw was made in December 2025 to the country’s diaspora including in the US.
However, Infantino said in 2017 – when US Soccer officials were preparing a joint bid with Canada and Mexico that they won the following year – that fans should have access to the tournament.
“It is clear, including in FIFA competitions, that any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for the World Cup must have access to the country. Otherwise, there will be no World Cup. That’s clear,” Infantino said nine years ago.
The US policy on visitors to the 2026 World Cup became the main theme before the match began on Friday, June 12, 2026, early in the morning WIB.
A referee appointed by FIFA from Somalia was denied entry into the US in Miami last weekend. On Monday, June 8, 2026, he was declared unable to participate in the 2026 World Cup.
An Iraqi player was detained for several hours after arriving in Chicago. Then, a photographer who was part of their delegation was denied entry.
“This disruption is such that we have to ask who is running the World Cup. Is it FIFA or the US Government with its immigration policy full of racism?”
“Before the ball was kicked, the feeling that this World Cup was not a global celebration of humanity as it should have been began to take over,” said Powar, Head of FIFA’s Anti-Discrimination Monitoring Partner.
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