Travel Restrictions Eased for Iran Ahead of Final Group Stage Match

Iran has received permission from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to travel to the United States a day earlier for their final World Cup group stage match on Friday. This change in immigration policy follows persistent complaints from members of the Iranian World Cup delegation that travel restrictions were impacting their ability to compete in the tournament.

The team will now be able to fly from their base in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday — two days before their match against Egypt in Seattle — to aid their preparations. For previous matches against New Zealand (a 2-2 draw) and Belgium (a 0-0 draw) in Los Angeles, the Iranians were only permitted to travel the day before the game.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA task force, explained to the Associated Press that they had always planned to monitor the team's movement during the first two matches and, “if all went smoothly,” to allow Iran “an extra day given the longer travel.” Despite Iran receiving more time before the match, the team was informed they would still need to fly out of Seattle — which is 1,600 km and a two to three-hour flight from their training base in Mexico — immediately after the game, which kicks off at 8:00 PM local time.

“We were told we have to leave immediately,” Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said through an interpreter after his team’s first match against New Zealand. “This really makes it difficult for us. Honestly, we don’t know why they are sending us back. It seems very strange. It seems like other people are making the plans for us. Our team is the most oppressed in the entire World Cup.”

The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) stated last week that it intends to file an official complaint with FIFA regarding the organization of the team's travel during the World Cup. Iran currently sits second in Group G with two points after two matches and is aiming to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time.

The Athletic was also informed by a source with close ties to the Iranian national team that members of the delegation who were initially denied U.S. visas are still not permitted to enter the country. Before the team left their pre-World Cup base in Turkey, 13 support staff members were not granted entry to the U.S. and remained in Mexico when the matches were played.

When the team flew from Turkey to Mexico, players wore #168 badges on their lapels in memory of the number of children who died in an elementary school on the first day of the U.S.-Iran conflict — February 28, 2026 — according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. A message left on a whiteboard at SoFi Stadium after the match with Belgium featured #168 and #Minab written in red marker. During a training session on Tuesday, which was open to the media for the first 15 minutes, flags bearing this hashtag were displayed on the training pitches.