The FIFA World Cup 2026 could not remain free of politics either, with tickets reserved for Iranian fans withdrawn.

The Iran Football Federation has claimed that a portion of its tickets have been withdrawn a few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, due to which Iranian fans who had already completed travel and other arrangements may now miss out on watching their team’s matches.

According to a statement issued by the federation, the process of selling tickets for Iran’s matches had begun, but suddenly these reserved tickets were not available.

Iranian officials say that many fans had made travel plans trusting official procedures, so this decision has caused great disappointment for them.

The Iranian Football Federation, calling the move contrary to the principles of international sports and equality between participating countries, expressed concern that political factors were influencing the organization of the tournament.

It should be noted that under the World Cup rules, each participating country receives about 8 percent of the tickets for each of its matches, which it distributes among fans according to its own preferences.

The federation did not clarify who made the decision to withhold tickets, but has called on FIFA to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the rules.

On the other hand, FIFA Secretary General Mathias Grafström described the meeting with Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj as positive and said that FIFA will continue to cooperate to provide a better environment for the team and delegation.