U.S. authorities have eased restrictions for the Iran national football team, allowing the squad to enter the country two days before its next match, which will be played in Seattle. Previously, the Iranian delegation was allowed to arrive only one day before the game, a situation that drew serious complaints from the coaching staff and players. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, after the match the team will still have to leave U.S. territory.
Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoy has repeatedly complained that the one-day limit puts the team at a disadvantage—especially given the long flights from the training base in Tijuana (Mexico). After a scoreless draw with Belgium, he stressed that the team needs more time to recover. Captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh also called for Iranians to be treated the same as the other 47 tournament participants.
Logistical difficulties are compounded by distance: the flight from Tijuana to Los Angeles (127 miles) could take up to five hours due to border procedures. The trip to Seattle is another 1,200 miles. The Iranians are hoping that the extra day will help them prepare properly for the match and recover after previous games. The match itself will most likely be held at Lumen Field, Seattle’s main football stadium, which hosted 1994 World Cup matches and can seat about 69,000 spectators.
The political backdrop remains tense. U.S. DHS head Marquain Mallin said that Iranians attempted to bring a person connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into the country. The Iranian Football Federation categorically denied it, calling the allegation a lie. Players and coaches are trying to distance themselves from politics, but they are not silent about tragedies.
On the uniforms of Iran’s footballers since arriving in Mexico, there have been gold badges with the number 168—dedicated to the victims of a missile strike on a school in the Iranian city of Minab, in which mainly girls were killed. After the match against Belgium, the team left a note in the locker room calling for peace, along with the hashtags #168 and #minab. At the final training session in Tijuana, four flags bearing the same number were planted in the pitch.
A similar request from the Egypt national team—to arrive in Seattle two days early—was rejected by FIFA. After their win over New Zealand in Vancouver, Egypt’s team wanted to fly directly to Seattle, but the organization cited a lack of security resources to accommodate such an emergency change. The team returned to its base in Spokane, Washington. Egypt chose Spokane because of the calmer atmosphere, excellent training facilities, and its distance from Seattle’s media noise.
The decision on Iran is a rare case of easing visa rules amid the absence of diplomatic relations between the countries and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Iranians insist that they are only interested in football, but symbolic gestures with the number 168 and pacifist messages serve as a reminder of the cost of war. Given the political tension, Seattle authorities have implemented an enhanced security protocol: a heavy police presence inside and outside the stadium, cooperation with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, screening at entrances, surveillance using cameras and drones, as well as patrolling public transportation. The World Cup continues, and now all eyes are on the match in Seattle.
Based on: US eases restriction on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing travel 2 days before next match