BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 9. Iran’s football federation has reported that the United States has revoked its allocation of tickets for the national team’s group-stage World Cup matches, citing bureaucratic obstacles amid ongoing diplomatic tensions. The federation accused the US of obstructing attendance for Iranian supporters following recent hostilities in late February.
TurkicWorld reports that FIFA regulations normally allocate 8 percent of tickets for each match to participating federations, to be distributed through official channels. Iran had already begun ticket sales for group-stage matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, all scheduled in the US, with fans having made travel and accommodation 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“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team,” the federation said.
