The Iranian Football Federation said the move had left it unable to offer even a single ticket to supporters of the national team, drawing anger in Tehran and renewing tensions around Iran’s participation in the tournament.
Under tournament procedures, each of the 48 participating teams is entitled to receive roughly 8% of stadium capacity for its fans at each match. Iran, however, says it has received no such allocation.
“In an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation was withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, we are unable to offer even one ticket to fans of the national team,” the federation said in a statement published by Iranian media.
Iran is scheduled to open its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium and Egypt in Seattle.
The Iranian federation suggested the decision was driven by political, rather than sporting, considerations.
“The United States has taken steps intended to prevent the presence of Iranian fans in the stadiums,” the federation said. “This raises serious questions about the influence of political considerations on the organization of the world’s biggest soccer event.”
FIFA has sought to calm the situation, saying it is working with the Iranian federation to find solutions that would allow as many fans as possible to attend Iran’s matches. FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström also met with Iranian federation representatives in recent weeks and promised assistance.
The ticket dispute is not the only problem facing Iran ahead of the tournament.
Some senior federation officials have not received visas to enter the United States, while the team was forced to change its original plans following the military confrontation with the Americans. Instead of training in Arizona as initially planned, Iran set up its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico.
There was also a surprising development from Washington. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security clarified that Iran’s players would be allowed to enter the United States one day before each of their matches.
The statement followed reports in recent days that unusual restrictions had been placed on the Iranian delegation. Iran’s ambassador to Mexico claimed the team would be allowed to enter U.S. territory only on the morning of matchdays and would be required to leave immediately after the final whistle.
Washington rejected the claims. In a statement to Reuters, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the reports were inaccurate.
“Those statements are false. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s generosity, the Iranian team will be allowed to arrive one day before the games,” the department said.