Iran’s football federation has announced that the allocation of World Cup tickets designated for the country’s supporters has been withdrawn just days before the start of the tournament.

The World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, gets underway on Thursday. Iran are set to begin their campaign against New Zealand on 15 June before taking on Belgium on 21 June, with both fixtures scheduled to be played in Los Angeles. Their final group-stage match will see them face Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

According to the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), FIFA regulations provide each participating federation with 8% of the tickets available for its matches, allowing those tickets to be distributed among fans from the respective nation.

The federation stated that ticket sales to supporters had already begun under this allocation. However, it says it is no longer able to supply those tickets, despite many fans having already organised travel plans and other arrangements for the tournament.

In an official statement, the FFIRI argued that denying Iranian supporters access to their designated ticket quota runs counter to the principles that should govern international sporting events.

“Preventing Iranian fans from receiving their legitimate and official share of match tickets is inconsistent with the spirit of international competitions and the principle of equal treatment among participating nations,” the statement read.

The federation further suggested that the situation raises concerns about the influence of political factors on the management of football’s premier international competition.

“This development creates serious concerns regarding the involvement of non-sporting and political considerations in the organisation of the world’s largest football tournament,” the statement added.

FFIRI also urged FIFA to maintain its commitment to neutrality and fairness, calling on the governing body to respect its own regulations and ensure equal treatment for all competing nations.

Iran’s preparations and participation in the World Cup have faced a series of challenges in recent months, many of which have been linked to ongoing tensions and conflict in the Middle East, along with broader security concerns.

On 25 May, Iran announced that it would relocate its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana in Mexico. Federation officials claimed the move was necessary because the United States was unwilling to accommodate the team.

As part of the visa arrangements in place, Iran’s squad will be required to travel into the United States only on matchdays before returning afterwards for each of their three group-stage fixtures.

Further complications emerged on 6 June when the federation alleged that US authorities had refused visas for several key members of the national team’s support staff. According to the FFIRI, 15 administrative officials were denied entry, including individuals considered essential to the team’s operations.

Earlier, the federation had submitted a list of 10 requests to FIFA concerning Iran’s participation in the tournament. Among those conditions was a request that players, coaches and officials who had completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be allowed to take part without restriction.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously indicated that Iran’s players would be permitted to attend the tournament. However, he also noted that individuals with ties to the IRGC could be subject to entry limitations under existing regulations.

Iran was also absent from FIFA’s annual congress held in Vancouver in April. The country became the only participating nation not represented after a delegation of FFIRI officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj, was reportedly denied entry at the Canadian border.