The Iranian Football Federation has released a furious statement after the ticket allocation allowing their fans to attend World Cup matches was rescinded. Due to the Middle East conflict, Iran were forced to move their training camp to Mexico, despite being slated to play all of their group stage games in the United States.
As things stand, they will take on New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt without any of their supporters in the stands. In response to the decision to withdraw the quota for fans to buy tickets, their statement read:
"With less than 3 days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup, unfortunately, in a series of decisions and actions outside the conventional sporting frameworks by the host country. This time the United States has attempted to sabotage the presence of Iranian fans in the stadium where the national team will be playing 3 games in the group stage of the 23rd World Cup.
According to the regulations and common procedures set by FIFA, 8% of the ticket capacity for each match is allocated to the federations participating in the World Cup so that fans from each country can purchase tickets through an official mechanism and in coordination with their respective federations.
Accordingly, and after receiving the relevant quota, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran began the process of selling tickets for the national team's matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt through its official website. However, in an unexpected move, the quota allocated to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn from this complex.
Under the current circumstances, it is not possible to provide even a single ticket to the fans of the national team through the federation. This is despite the fact that many Iranian football enthusiasts had made the necessary plans to attend the tournament venue, trusting in the officially announced process.
Depriving Iranian fans of access to the legal and official quota of allocated tickets is contrary to the spirit of international competitions and the principle of equality between participating countries. This incident raises serious questions about the interference of non-sporting and political considerations in the process of organising the world's biggest football event.
Iranian football fans have always been one of the most important spiritual assets of the national team in all international competitions, observing the rules and respecting professional principles, and it is expected that their legal rights will be respected, just like fans of other countries.
Therefore, while expressing dissatisfaction with this process, FIFA and the tournament organizers are expected to adhere to the principles of impartiality, justice, and approved regulations, and to provide the necessary conditions for Iranian fans to enjoy their legal rights and not allow issues outside the football field to overshadow the world's largest football tournament."
