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Iran says ticket allocation for World Cup withdrawn days before tournament
Iran’s federation said the move leaves supporters with no official tickets after it had already started sales, while visa denials have affected some staff.
- On Tuesday, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran announced its 8% World Cup ticket allocation for three group matches was revoked, leaving fans who had made travel plans unable to attend matches in the United States.
- Diplomatic tensions and visa uncertainty prompted the FFIRI to relocate its pre-tournament training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, where the team arrived on Sunday, June 7.
- While U.S. officials issued visas for players last Friday, the federation reports 15 administrative staff members were denied entry, and a FIFA-appointed referee was turned away at the border.
- Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom held a "positive discussion" with FFIRI President Mehdi Taj after the team's arrival, though the governing body has not publicly confirmed the ticket revocation claim.
- Concerns over fan access echo a 2017 warning from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who stated that qualifying teams and their supporters must have access to the host country.
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kreiszeitung.deReposted by 
hna.de
hna.deOn 11 June, the 2026 World Cup will start with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Shortly before the start, Iran's ticket problems are causing a stir.
Iran denounces that the U.S. and FIFA revoked their hobby entries and blocked their delegation visas, imposing severe restrictions on the World Cup.
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Total News Sources166
Leaning Left39Leaning Right26Center30Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Left
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources lean Left
41% Left
L 41%
C 32%
R 27%
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