U.S. obstructs Iranian fans at FIFA World Cup 2026 matches venues

Pars Today – The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran has reported that the United States has hindered the attendance of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting Iran’s national team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

According to Pars Today, citing IRIB News Agency, the Iranian Football Federation stated that the United States, as part of a series of decisions and actions outside the accepted norms of international sport, has created obstacles to the presence of Iranian fans at the venues hosting the national team's three group-stage matches in the 23rd FIFA World Cup.

According to FIFA regulations and established procedures, 8 percent of the ticket allocation for each World Cup match is reserved for participating national federations, enabling supporters of each country to purchase tickets through an official mechanism coordinated by their respective football association. Based on this framework and after receiving its designated allocation, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran began selling tickets for Iran's matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt through its official website.

However, in an unexpected move, the ticket allocation assigned to the Iranian Football Federation has reportedly been withdrawn by the United States. Under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the Iranian national team through official channels. This comes despite the fact that many Iranian football fans had already made plans to attend the matches, relying on the announced official process.

Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their legally allocated and officially designated ticket quota runs counter to the spirit of international sporting competitions and the principle of equal treatment among participating nations. The development has also raised serious questions about the influence of non-sporting and political considerations on the organization of the world's biggest football event.