Iran federation claims US revoked World Cup ticket allocation for Iranian fans

Iran and the USA are effectively in a state of war ever since the February 28 attack on Iran and the killing of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran.

Iran players landed in Mexico sporting pin badges with the word ‘#168’ on it. The hashtag commemorated the number of children killed at an elementary school on the first day of the US-Iran conflict, as per the Iranian foreign ministry.

While neither the US or FIFA have commented on the allegations, FFIRI called on FIFA and tournament organisers “to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations, to provide the necessary conditions for Iranian supporters”.

The Iranian federation has decried the move as “contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries”.

The Iranian football body added in the statement that FIFA regulations dictate that it should be allocated eight per cent of tickets for each match. These tickets are given to participating federations for distribution to their supporters through official channels.

FFIRI pointed out in the statement that it had already begun ticket sales for group stage matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt — all to be held in the US — after receiving its quota, with some fans having already made necessary arrangements.

“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team,” it said.