US grants Iran's World Cup squad extra travel day ahead of Seattle clash with Egypt

The United States has relaxed travel restrictions on Iran’s World Cup squad, permitting the team to cross into the country two days before their Group D fixture against Egypt in Seattle on Friday — an extension from the one-day window that applied to their previous two matches in Los Angeles.

The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed the change on Tuesday, though Iran’s players and staff will still be required to leave the country immediately after the match. A spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation said the squad will depart their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said the decision followed a review of how Iran’s first two cross-border movements had gone. “This was planned on our end,” Giuliani told the Associated Press. “We were going to look at how the first two movements went, and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time.”

Iran’s squad has faced a series of logistical difficulties since the tournament began. Their base camp was relocated from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, and several team officials and support staff members were barred from entering the United States alongside the players. For their opening fixtures, the squad was not permitted to travel until the day before each game.

While FIFA regulations do not require more than a one-day pre-match arrival window, Iran had formally requested additional time to acclimatise to host cities and recover between games — a standard practice for many of the other 47 nations competing.

After Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Belgium, Iran midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh made a public appeal for equal treatment. “We don’t ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams,” he said. “Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us.”

Iran face Egypt in Seattle on Friday, with their World Cup campaign still alive following the point earned against Belgium.