Iran’s national soccer team can travel to the United States a day earlier than previously allowed for its final group game in Seattle on Friday, Iranian and United States officials said on Tuesday.
The development comes after members of Iran’s World Cup delegation, including its coach and team captain, complained publicly and privately about the time players have been allowed to spend in the United States to prepare for games.
Iran tied its two opening games and needs to win or tie its final group game with Egypt in Seattle to make it through to the knockout stage for the first time. The team was not allowed to enter the United States until the day before its first two matches, both of which were played near Los Angeles — a restriction that Iran’s coach, Amir Ghalenoei, said put his team at a disadvantage.
Seattle is farther from Tijuana, Mexico, where the team has been based during the tournament, than Los Angeles.
While the Iranians will be allowed to arrive earlier than usual, they still must leave the country immediately after the game ends, according to an agreement struck with U.S. authorities to play in the tournament. The sharp postgame exit has also been a source of frustration, with a member of the team’s medical staff saying it has harmed efforts to allow players to recover.
The easing of the restrictions on Iran comes as negotiations between the United States and Iran continued in Switzerland.
An agreement to let the Iranian national team enter the United States a day early “was planned on our end,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, told The Associated Press.
“We were going to look at how the first two movements went and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time,” Mr. Giuliani said.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Giuliani confirmed the quotes.
The Department of Homeland Security also confirmed the changes. “The overall security measures and protocol are the same,” the department said in a statement. “We remain committed to providing the safest tournament possible for players, staff and fans alike.”
Before Iran’s second game against Belgium on Sunday, Mr. Ghalenoei, the team’s coach, raged about how the restrictions placed on the team had affected its preparations, saying it was not able to complete its practice schedule for a vital match. Other teams were not disadvantaged in the same way, he said.
FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, has been caught in the middle, trying to balance Iran’s needs with those of the U.S. government. Mr. Ghalenoei told reporters that the team was ready to leave on Friday for Sunday’s game after a FIFA official called to say there was a possibility it could travel earlier.
“FIFA phoned me and said, ‘Are you ready if we get you a flight at 6 p.m.?’” he said. “I welcomed that but we sat and waited and waited. We waited until 7 p.m. Nothing happened. ‘OK, sorry, we weren’t able to do that.’ That’s going to affect us mentally, especially me as a head coach.”
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