US government softens stance on Iran’s World Cup team entering country ahead of showdown against Egypt
By Priscilla Alvarez, Kyle Feldscher, CNN
(CNN) — The US government is softening its stance on the Iranian national team entering the United States before its third World Cup match, allowing the team to come into the country two days before its Friday game against Egypt.
“For the Iranian team’s third match in Seattle on June 26, the team has been permitted to come into the US two days before the match,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CNN.
“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.”
Iran was initially supposed to make its basecamp in Tucson, Arizona, for the tournament but was forced at the last minute to move its headquarters to Tijuana, Mexico. The war between the US and Iran has forced multiple difficulties on Team Melli, including some members of the team’s traveling delegation not receiving visas to enter the United States, being forced to enter the country one day before its first two games and then leaving almost immediately afterward.
Iran entered this tournament in an unprecedented situation – playing a World Cup inside of a nation with which it was at war. A tenuous memorandum of understanding has since been agreed to, but tensions between the two nations remain high even as hostilities have slowed somewhat.
The Iranians on the field have managed to squeeze out two draws and appear to be on track to qualify for the knockout rounds thanks to FIFA’s expanded tournament. Iran came back twice to earn a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in the opening game and then drew 0-0 with Belgium over the weekend.
Iran currently sits in second in Group G, just ahead of Belgium. If Team Melli were to beat Egypt on Friday in Seattle, then the Iranians would win the group.
For months, there was speculation that Iran wouldn’t actually end up playing in the World Cup in protest over the war and the Iranians were at one point in discussions to move their games outside of the US. In the end, the national team showed up and are playing their three games in the US as scheduled.
But it has not been easy. The Iranian team was upset at having to fly back to Tijuana only hours after playing New Zealand, having anticipated staying in Los Angeles overnight and flying back in the morning after recovering.
The complaints from the team drew a response from the US government, which claimed that the Iranians had agreed to the arrangement and it was always expected that they would head back to Mexico immediately after the game.
The requirement to leave one day after the match remains in place for Friday’s showdown against Egypt at Lumen Field.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
