Iran's football team hit by ticket revocation and missing warm‑up matches ahead of World Cup 2026

The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) says its allocation of fan tickets for the 2026 World Cup has been withdrawn by U.S. authorities, calling the move a breach of FIFA’s equal‑treatment rules and suggesting political interference. The revocation leaves Iranian supporters, some of whom had already arranged travel, without access to their legally allotted seats.

Iran’s preparation has also been disrupted. Friendlies scheduled against Grenada and Puerto Rico were cancelled, leaving the squad without any warm‑up matches before the tournament. The team relocated its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after visa concerns and now travels to the United States a day before each group‑stage match. Iranian officials warned organizers that any non‑Iranian flags or slogans in stadiums could trigger a match stoppage.

Despite these hurdles, Iran will play its group games against New Zealand (15 June, Los Angeles), Belgium (21 June, Los Angeles) and Egypt (26 June, Seattle) as part of the tournament co‑hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.