However, just days prior to Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand on June 15 at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood, the federation announced that it had been notified that tickets for Iranian fans would no longer be available. This assertion was made in a statement released by Iran’s semi-official state media.
This situation has created uncertainty regarding the attendance of Iranian supporters at the team’s group-stage matches in the United States.
FIFA has been contacted for a statement. This development contributes to the ongoing tensions between Iranian soccer, FIFA, and the U.S., which initiated military actions against Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran’s team is currently training in the Mexican border city of Tijuana instead of its intended pre-war location in Tucson, Arizona. Additionally, some federation officials have faced visa rejections for entry into the U.S., where Iran is set to face Belgium in Inglewood on June 21, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
World Cup federations typically sell their ticket allocations to the most dedicated fans who attend games both at home and abroad.
Iranian residents have been subject to a travel ban imposed by the U.S. government since last year, making it unlikely for them to obtain entry visas for the World Cup. It remains unclear how many tickets from Iran’s allocation were sold to the diaspora since the tournament draw in December.
Nonetheless, FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated in 2017—when U.S. soccer officials were preparing a co-hosting bid with Canada and Mexico, which they secured the following year—that fans must have access to the tournament.
“It’s clear that when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, along with its supporters and officials who qualify for a World Cup, need to be able to access the country; otherwise, there is no World Cup,” Infantino asserted nine years ago. “That is clear.” A FIFA-appointed match referee from Somalia was denied entry into the U.S. in Miami over the weekend and was subsequently ruled out of participating in the 104-game tournament set to commence on Thursday.
(With PTI inputs)
