Topline
The Department of Homeland Security is easing its tight visa restrictions against members of the Iranian World Cup team ahead of their match against Egypt and will allow the team into the United States 48 hours before the match begins, twice as much time as they were given to prepare for their first two matches earlier this month.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup on June 21, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
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Key Facts
The team will be allowed to travel to Seattle on Wednesday, two days before their Friday game, but will have to leave the country the same day.
The post-game timeline is the same that was enforced after Iran’s games against New Zealand and Belgium, a tight travel schedule that members of the Iranian team and their coach have blasted as unfair treatment.
A Trump administration spokesperson told NBC News the restrictions are to make sure “things are safe and secure, not just around the stadiums but around base camps and training sites.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.