Iran football team hit by FIFA ticket revocation for U.S. World Cup matches

The Iran national football team has been based in Tijuana, Mexico, where fans gathered outside the Marriott Hotel on Agua Caliente Boulevard to see captain Mehdi Taremi sign autographs ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The Iranian Football Federation announced that FIFA has withdrawn the team’s allocation of tickets for its three group‑stage matches in the United States. The revocation leaves Iranian supporters unable to obtain the 8 % stadium quota normally granted to each federation for games against New Zealand (June 15 in Los Angeles), Belgium (June 21 in Inglewood) and Egypt (June 26 in Seattle). The federation cited visa difficulties, financial sanctions and the ongoing tension between Iran, FIFA and the U.S., which hosted attacks on Iran on 28 February. The team’s headquarters were moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana after those hostilities.