At the end of the World Cup Group G soccer match between Belgium and Iran held in Inglewood, California near Los Angeles, on Sunday, June 21, 2026, Iran players showed visible reactions. The U.S. is easing its restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing them to enter the country two days before their next match. A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the update on Tuesday.
The Iranian team will still be required to leave after their match on Friday in Seattle, as stated by a department spokesperson. According to a spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation, the squad will depart their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday for Seattle. Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, revealed that they planned to analyze the initial movements. If those went smoothly, they intended to offer an extra day due to the long travel distance.
This policy adjustment was first conveyed by NBC News amid ongoing negotiations between the two countries to end the war in Iran. Iran’s team has faced challenges with travel restrictions since the conflict began. As of March, Iran requested to relocate its group-stage matches to Mexico, leveraging diplomatic relations. Their appeal to move the base camp from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana was approved two weeks before the team’s arrival.
Several officials and support staff have been prohibited from entering the U.S. with the team. For the first two matches in Los Angeles, the team was only allowed entry the day before each game. Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, expressed that these constraints placed the team at a disadvantage, especially with less than 24 hours to prepare before their noon match on Sunday.
“Our immediate need is recovery,” Ghalenoei stated through an interpreter following the 0-0 draw against Belgium. “The conditions have been incredibly tough for us.” Generally, teams travel a day prior to a match, aligning with FIFA regulations which note that teams must travel from their base camp to the venue one day before matchday. However, Iran requested additional time to adjust to host cities and recuperate after matches, citing the considerable 1,200-mile journey to Seattle.
The team plans to conduct training on Thursday at the University of Washington. “We seek equal treatment like the other 47 teams,” Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh expressed. “We hope everyone involved can assist us.” The Iranian team has reported difficulties when entering and exiting the U.S. during the short 127-mile flight between Tijuana and Los Angeles. Team captain Mehdi Taremi recounted how this typically brief trip took five hours prior to the match against New Zealand.
Hours before Sunday’s match against Belgium, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin disclosed to Fox News that Iran attempted to bring someone in the day before with connections to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The soccer federation firmly denied this allegation, describing it as a lie.
While Iran’s players and coaches have avoided direct commentary on the war, they haven’t hesitated to acknowledge victims of a missile strike on an elementary school at the war’s onset in the Middle East, supposedly by the U.S. Players donned gold-colored pins with the number “168” in reference to the number of casualties, mainly children, when arriving in Mexico on June 7.
After their match in California on Sunday, they left a note in SoFi Stadium’s locker room advocating for peace among nations and using hashtags #168 and #minab, the name of the affected school. During Iran’s final training in Tijuana before heading to Seattle, four flags were positioned on the field, each with the number 168.
It’s uncertain whether Egypt, Iran’s next opponent, will be granted permission for early arrival in Seattle. Following its 3-1 win against New Zealand in Vancouver, Egypt requested direct travel to Seattle, but FIFA rejected this due to security constraints. Subsequently, Egypt returned to its base camp in Spokane, Washington, located 45 minutes from Seattle. No comment has been received from Egypt’s team yet.