US revokes World Cup tickets from Iran fans, says country's Football Federation
Fans at Tijuana International Airport, in Mexico, welcome the Iran national team upon arrival for the World Cup, on June 7, 2026
Victor Medina/Reuters
The Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) stated on Tuesday (9) that its quota of tickets for the World Cup was withdrawn by the United States a few days before the start, which takes place this Thursday (11).
The decision leaves fans in shock. who had already made travel plans making it impossible to attend the Iranian national team's matches.
"This is despite the fact that many Iranian fans, trusting the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the games," FFIRI added in a statement.
Iranian national football team players
AP/Vahid Salemi
The 8% ticket quota allocated to fans was withdrawn by the United States, leaving the federation currently unable to distributing tickets to fans.
Until the last update of the report, neither the United States nor FIFA had commented.
Iran national team arrives in Mexico to compete in the World Cup
Amid the conflict between Iran and the United States, Iranian players received authorization to enter American territory to play in World Cup matches, but will not be able to remain in the country between commitments. Iran's team will have to leave the USA after each game.
The delegation arrived this Sunday in Tijuana, Mexico, where it will be concentrated during the first phase of the competition. Initially, the team planned to stay in Tucson, Arizona, as it will play its first three games in the United States. However, the war that began after coordinated bombings by American and Israeli forces against Iran changed the entire team's logistics.
According to the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, the visa granted to the 26 players only allows temporary entry into the United States for training and matches. The authorization does not include overnight stays in American territory. As a result, the team will have to return to Tijuana after each game or activity held in the USA.
Source: G1