U.S. officials announced that the Iranian national football team has been granted permission to enter the United States two days before its third fixture in the 2026 World Cup.
This decision was made despite strict travel restrictions imposed on the Iranian delegation during the World Cup tournament, which the United States is jointly hosting.
According to Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House World Cup Task Force, Iranian players were permitted to enter the U.S. only one day before each of their first two matches in Los Angeles. This comes even though the initial policy had anticipated that the Iranian team would enter U.S. territory on the exact day of the match.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday that, for the match between Iran and Egypt in Seattle on Friday, June 26, the Iranian national team has been allowed to enter the U.S. two days earlier. However, they must still depart the country on the same day the match concludes.
The agency emphasized that other security measures and enforced protocols remain unchanged, and that the United States is committed to hosting the competition safely for players, team members, and fans alike.
