The Iranian Football Federation has said its ticket quota for the FIFA World Cup has been revoked, just days before the start of the tournament.
In a statement, the governing body claimed the allocation which was being sold through their official website was pulled.
They say the United States revoked the allocation, accusing the co-host of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row.
Under normal FIFA rules, 8% of ticket capacity of each match is allocated to the federations present in the World Cup so that the fans of each country can purchase tickets.
The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran had started the process of selling tickets for matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt through its official website.
“However, in an unexpected move, the allocation granted to the Iranian Football Federation has been withdrawn, and under the current circumstances, the federation is unable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team,” they said.
Many fans had made plans to attend matches through that process. While there are other methods of obtaining tickets, it will certainly impact the number of Iranians in attendance at matches.
The federation described the move as “contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries”.
It also called on FIFA and tournament organisers “to uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations, to provide the necessary conditions for Iranian supporters”.
Neither FIFA nor US organisers have publicly commented on the Iranian accusation.
The complaint is the latest dispute regarding Iran’s participation in the World Cup, following visa issues that Tehran says have prevented some 15 administrative and management staff in its delegation from entering the United States.
Rising tensions also prompted Iran to announce that it was moving its World Cup training base to the Mexican border city of Tijuana rather than Tuscon, Arizona, as originally planned.
Iran open their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city on 21 June and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
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