The Iranian football team have been given an extra day to arrive in the United States of America and gear up for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage clash against Egypt in Seattle on Friday.
However, the team will have to return to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, shortly after the match. Amid political tensions with Iran, the United States had imposed strict travel measures on the Iranian football team.
This included the team arriving in the United States just a day before their match and leaving as soon as it ended. This led to Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei terming his team as the "most oppressed" at the FIFA World Cup.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson on Iran's travel
"For the Iranian team's third match in Seattle on 26 June, the team has been permitted to come into the US two days before the match," a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said.
“The Iran team will still be required to leave the day the match ends. The overall security measures and protocol are the same. We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff, and fans alike," the spokesperson added.
The Iranian football federation still maintains its stance that it intends to file a complaint with FIFA regarding the travel restrictions.
Winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh said Iran wasn't asking for much and hoped his team would receive the same treatment as the rest of the 47 teams.
"We don't ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams," he had said recently. "Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us," he added.
Iran, who are in second place in Group G with two points from as many games, face a must-win situation against Egypt. Should they beat Egypt on Friday, Iran will advance to the round of 32.
A loss, on the other hand, will eliminate Iran from the tournament even if they finish third, since two points won’t be enough for them to qualify.
Egypt, on the other hand, have been dealt a blow after local authorities reportedly denied the team the right to travel directly from Vancouver to Egypt for the Iran clash.
"The security authorities refused the team's request to stay in the city of Seattle as planned after the New Zealand match in the World Cup, and therefore the team's delegation will return to the city of Spokane," an Egyptian FA statement said.
Egypt currently lead the Group G standings with four points from two matches.
