A Iranian Football Federation (FFI) reported this Tuesday that the United States revoked its allocation of tickets for the group stage games of the World Cup, accusing the co-host of preventing the presence of Iranian fans.
The US imposed several bureaucratic obstacles on Iran at this sporting event, including refusal to issue visas for a large part of his support team, as the two countries remain at war.
“With less than three days before the start of the World Cup, it is regrettable that, in a series of decisions outside of current sports agents by the host country, the US has attempted to prevent the presence of Iranian fans in the stadium hosting the three group stage games,” the FFI said in a statement.
According to , FIFA rules stipulate that 8% of the stadium’s capacity for each game will be sold by participating federations, with the Iranian federation revealing that it has started selling these tickets through its official website.
According to the statement, Iran had already started selling tickets for group stage games against Iran. New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt after receiving their quota, with some fans having already taken the necessary measures.
“One unexpected decision withdrew the quota allocated to the Iranian Football Federation and, under current conditions, the federation is not in a position to make even a single ticket available to fans,” the federation added.
The federation described the measure as “contrary to the spirit that governs international competitions and the principle of equality between the participating countries”.
He also called on FIFA and the tournament organizers “to defend the principles of neutrality, equity and established regulationsin order to provide the necessary conditions for Iranian fans”.
Neither FIFA nor North American organizers have publicly commented on the Iranian accusation.
The complaint is the latest point of contention regarding Iran’s participation in the World Cup, following visa problems that, according to Tehran, prevented around 15 members of its delegation’s administrative and management staff from entering the United States.
