Iran stripped of ticket allocation for World Cup matches in the USA

Schedule and affected matches

Each World Cup participant is allocated eight percent of stadium seats per match for its fans. This number of tickets is available to each World Cup participant for its fans per match. The FFI is now hoping to regain access to this allocation.

Due to the entry restrictions, the Iranian federation relocated its team base from the U.S. state of Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico, located south of San Diego. According to the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, the team is only allowed to enter the USA on matchdays for their World Cup games.

Entry restrictions and base in Mexico

Iran has been in a military conflict with the USA since the end of February. Currently, no visas are being issued to Iranian citizens at U.S. foreign missions. Therefore, Iranian fans would have had little chance of entering the country for the World Cup, according to observers in Tehran.

In addition, travel to the USA is hardly affordable for most Iranian fans. According to the FFI, many supporters had nevertheless already planned their trips to the World Cup and must now cancel them. The FFI emphasizes: This is happening even though many Iranian football fans, in reliance on the official announcements, had already made travel preparations to attend the matches.

Accusations against the USA and hope for FIFA

The FFI accuses World Cup co-host USA of trying to prevent the presence of Iranian fans in this way. The federation is still hoping for mediation by FIFA in order to gain access to the ticket allocation of eight percent of spectator seats in the stadiums. At the time of the statement, no further details on the withdrawal of the tickets were available.

The football World Cup is scheduled to take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The Iranian federation publicly announced the withdrawal of the tickets on a Tuesday. Whether FIFA will intervene in the dispute initially remained open.