Iran had its World Cup ticket allocation for supporters was withdrawn days before the tournament, adding to visa and access disputes.

Iran’s football federation said its allocation of World Cup tickets for supporters has been revoked days before the start of the tournament.

The federation said the decision left it unable to distribute tickets to Iranian fans through official channels for the team’s group-stage matches.

The move, according to Iranian officials, affected its standard ticket quota for the World Cup. Under FIFA procedures, participating federations usually receive an allocation for their supporters at each match.

The federation criticised the decision and described it as discriminatory. It also said the measure conflicted with the principles of neutrality and equal treatment in international football.

FIFA has not publicly commented on the claim. The United States, one of the three World Cup co-hosts, has also not publicly addressed the issue.

The ticket dispute follows visa problems involving Team Melli’s delegation. Iranian players received U.S. visas before the tournament, but several officials and staff members still faced entry issues.

Iran moved its World Cup base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after earlier visa uncertainty and security concerns.

Iran will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before facing Egypt in Seattle in their final Group G match.

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Omar Marmoush is among several Manchester City players whose futures are uncertain as the club prepares for a summer squad reshuffle.

Omar Marmoush is among the Manchester City players who could leave the club this summer as City prepare for changes to their squad ahead of next season, according to reports.

Manchester City would consider offers for Marmoush if a suitable bid arrives, although the club would seek to recover most or all of the fee paid to sign him, according to reports.

Marmoush made 21 Premier League appearances last season, including eight starts. He finished the campaign with three goals and three assists.

The uncertainty comes as Manchester City enter a period of transition after Pep Guardiola’s departure. Enzo Maresca is expected to take over, while director of football Hugo Viana will oversee recruitment and sales.

Nico Gonzalez, Rico Lewis, Tijjani Reijnders, Mateo Kovacic, James Trafford and Nathan Ake have also been listed among players who could leave this summer.

Marmoush signed a four-and-a-half-year contract when he arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt. City paid about £59 million, plus add-ons, for the forward, who can play centrally or in wide positions.

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Amin Omar will lead an Egyptian refereeing team for South Korea’s World Cup match against Czechia in the opening round of Group A.

An Egyptian refereeing team will officiate South Korea’s 2026 World Cup match against Czechia, FIFA’s Referees Committee has confirmed.

Amin Omar will serve as the main referee for the Group A match. Mahmoud Abouelregal and Ahmed Hossam Taha will officiate as assistant referees.

Mahmoud Ashour will serve as video assistant referee. Costa Rican official Juan Calderon will be the fourth official, with Juan Carlos Mora as reserve assistant referee.

American official Joe Dickerson and Italian referee Marco Di Bello will work as assistant video assistant referees.

South Korea will face Czechia on Friday, June 12, in the opening round of the group stage. The match will kick off at 5 a.m. Cairo time.

The match is part of Group A, which also includes Mexico and South Africa.

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Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will miss his World Cup debut after U.S. authorities denied him entry despite a valid visa.

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after U.S. authorities denied him entry at Miami International Airport.

Artan had travelled from Istanbul and held a valid U.S. visa. However, Customs and Border Protection found him inadmissible after additional inspection. U.S. officials cited vetting concerns and did not give further details.

FIFA said Artan will not take part in the tournament after discussions with U.S. authorities. The governing body said immigration decisions remain outside its control.

Artan had been selected for the World Cup match officials list and was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the tournament. He was also the only Somali official among the selected referees.

The decision came days before the World Cup opens in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Artan had recently won the Confederation of African Football’s Best Male Referee award for 2025.

The case adds to a series of visa and entry disputes before the tournament. Iran’s players received U.S. visas last week, but several staff members had not been granted entry. Iran’s federation later said it would take the issue to FIFA.

Somalia is among the countries affected by U.S. travel restrictions under the Trump administration. The refusal has raised further questions over access for officials, staff and supporters from countries facing tighter U.S. immigration controls.

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Mohamed El Shenawy said winning the World Cup remains his dream, but Egypt must first advance from Group G.

Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy said his ambition is to win the 2026 World Cup, while stressing that the team must first reach the knockout stage.

El Shenawy made the comments in an interview with FIFA before Egypt’s fourth appearance at the tournament.

The veteran said the coveted tournament remains the highest target for any player. He said Egypt must move step by step, starting with qualification from the group.

Egypt will play in Group G with Belgium, New Zealand and Iran. The Pharaohs will open their campaign against Belgium in Seattle on June 15.

El Shenawy added that Egypt’s players now understand the tournament better after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He said he, Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet can pass that experience to the rest of the squad.

Egypt lost all three group matches in 2018 and have never won a World Cup match. El Shenawy was named man of the match in Egypt’s 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in that tournament.

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Egypt lost 2-1 to Brazil in Cleveland, with Zico scoring before the Pharaohs open their World Cup campaign against Belgium.

Egypt lost 2-1 to Brazil in Cleveland on Saturday in their final warm-up match before the 2026 World Cup. Bruno Guimaraes gave Brazil an early lead from inside the box before Egypt equalised through Mostafa Ziko. Endrick scored Brazil’s winner in the second half after an assist from Raphinha.

Mohamed Salah started on the bench, but came in after half-time. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said the forward was ready for matches.

Hassan said he was disappointed by the defeat but satisfied with the players’ performance against the five-time world champions.

Egypt are set to open their Group G campaign against Belgium on Monday, June 15, at 10:00 PM EEST. They will then face New Zealand and Iran.

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Belgium beat Tunisia 5-0 in Brussels in their final warm-up match before facing Egypt in their World Cup opener.

Belgium beat Tunisia 5-0 in Brussels in their final preparation match before opening their World Cup campaign against Egypt.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 27th minute before Charles De Ketelaere doubled Belgium’s lead early in the second half.

Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 in the 64th minute. Dodi Lukebakio added the fourth in the 84th minute before Nicolas Raskin completed the scoring two minutes later.

Tunisia finished the match with 10 players after Ismael Gharbi received a second yellow card in the 61st minute.

The result completed Belgium’s World Cup preparations under Rudi Garcia. The team had also beaten Croatia 2-0 in their previous warm-up match.

Belgium will start Group G against Egypt in Seattle on June 15. They will then face Iran in Los Angeles on June 21 and New Zealand in Vancouver on June 27.

The Pharaohs will play Belgium first before facing New Zealand and Iran.

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Iran condemned the US refusal to issue visas to several national team officials and said it would take the case to FIFA before the World Cup.

The Iranian Football Federation condemned the United States’ refusal to grant entry visas to several national team officials ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

The federation said in an official statement that the US decision violated international sports laws and regulations. It said it would pursue the matter through FIFA.

Iran said the rejected visas affected key managerial and administrative members of the national team delegation. The federation described the decision as political and said it had harmed the team’s right to equal treatment during the tournament.

The statement called on FIFA to intervene and secure visas for Iran’s managerial, executive, technical and support staff. It said those staff members are currently with the team and remain necessary for its World Cup preparations.

The dispute comes one day after Iran’s players received US visas before their opening match. Some officials and administrative staff were still waiting for approval.

Iran moved its World Cup base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after earlier visa uncertainty and security concerns. The team will travel into the United States for its group-stage matches.

Team Melli will open Group G against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team will also face Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 before playing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

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Iran players received USA entry visas days before their opening match in Los Angeles, while some staff members still awaited approval.

Iran’s World Cup players have received visas to enter the United States, a White House official said, easing doubts over the team’s participation.

The visas were granted 10 days before Iran face New Zealand in Los Angeles in their first Group G match at the 2026 World Cup.

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had previously said that the squad had not yet received entry visas. A White House official later said that the approvals came overnight.

The issue had disrupted Team Melli’s tournament logistics. The team moved its planned base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, because of the visa delays and broader security concerns.

Iran are due to play their first two group-stage matches in Los Angeles, against New Zealand and Belgium, before facing Egypt in Seattle.

The visa issue has not fully ended, however. Some technical and administrative staff members are still waiting for approval. USA Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said Washington would not allow members of the delegation linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to enter the country.

Iran’s presence in the United States comes amid continuing political and military tensions between Tehran and Washington.

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Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has selected Hamza Abdelkarim to join the Catalonian side’s first team during the preseason preparations.

Hansi Flick has chosen Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim to take part in the Barcelona first team preseason preparations ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The 18-year-old will join a group of academy and reserve-team players called up by Flick as several senior players return late because of World Cup commitments.

Barcelona will begin preseason on July 13 with medical and physical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The squad will later travel to St George’s Park in England for part of its summer training camp.

Abdelkarim joined Barça Atlètic from Al Ahly in February on loan until June 30, 2026, with a purchase option included in the agreement.

Barcelona have since moved toward keeping the striker after his performances at youth level.

Flick had previously opened the door to a first team chance for the Egyptian, saying he could become an option during preseason.

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