US Eases Travel Restrictions for Iran's National Football Team Ahead of World Cup Match

The US has eased travel restrictions on Iran’s national football team at the 2026 World Cup after Tehran protested what it called unequal treatment.

Iran’s delegation will leave its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday and travel to Seattle ahead of Friday’s Group C match against Egypt, according to the Iranian Football Federation.

Up till now, Iranian players had only been permitted to enter the US one day before matches. The team had to relocate its base camp from Arizona to Mexico and several officials and support staff were reportedly denied entry visas.

A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security said the team would still be required to leave the country after Friday’s game. White House FIFA Task Force Executive Director Andrew Giuliani said the decision to grant an additional day had been planned in advance following a review of the team’s previous travel arrangements.

The move comes days after Iranian football officials formally raised concerns with FIFA, arguing that the restrictions put the team at a competitive disadvantage compared to other nations participating in the tournament.

"We have officially notified FIFA of these issues and requested an explanation," Iran team manager and Football Federation vice president Mahdi Mohammadnabi told state broadcaster IRIB before Iran’s draw with Belgium.

Mohammadnabi said Iranian players were being subjected to conditions “in no way equal” to those faced by other teams, citing travel limitations and visa-related obstacles. He urged FIFA to ensure that procedures communicated to host nations were applied equally to all participants.

Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei previously described his squad as “the most oppressed” team at the World Cup, while captain Mehdi Taremi called the situation facing the team a “disaster.”

Following Sunday’s match against Belgium, winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh said the squad was seeking only the same treatment afforded to the tournament’s other teams and hoped to arrive early enough to adapt to local conditions before facing Egypt.