Iran’s footballers will be permitted to enter the United States two days before their decisive Group G match against Egypt in Seattle on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday, relaxing the tight restrictions that had confined the team to a 24-hour pre-match window for its opening two fixtures. The concession does not alter the requirement that the squad leave US soil on the day the match ends, and it stands in contrast to the experience of Egypt, whose delegation was prevented from travelling to Seattle early after its victory over New Zealand and was instead forced to return to its base in Spokane, some 450 kilometres from the venue.

Iran has navigated the group stage under logistical constraints that head coach Amir Ghalenoei described as making his side “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.” Based in Tijuana, Mexico, after a planned camp in Arizona was abandoned, the team was allowed into Los Angeles only the day before each of its first two matches and had to depart immediately after the final whistle. Following a 2-2 draw with New Zealand and a goalless stalemate against Belgium, Ghalenoei said the rapid exits had disrupted player recovery, and the Iranian football federation had signalled it would lodge a formal complaint with FIFA over unequal treatment.

Egypt, by contrast, leads the group with four points after a 3-1 defeat of New Zealand in Vancouver and a 1-1 draw with Belgium. Coach Hossam Hassan had sought to move the squad directly to Seattle to minimise travel fatigue ahead of the Iran clash, but US authorities denied the request, forcing a late change of plan and a return to Spokane. The Egyptian federation confirmed the veto, which added a further layer of complication to a group already shaped by off-field tensions.

The easing for Iran was framed by Washington as a planned step. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, said officials had wanted to observe the first two entries before granting an extra day because of the longer flight to Seattle. The broader security posture, however, remains rooted in the aftermath of the US-led military strikes against Iran in February, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and cast doubt on Iran’s tournament participation until late visa approvals in early June. Several Iranian support staff were denied entry, and Iranian fans remain subject to a travel ban.

Friday’s match at Lumen Field will decide the group. Iran, on two points, can reach the knockout stage for the first time with a victory, and even a draw could prove sufficient depending on the result between Belgium and New Zealand. Egypt needs only a point to guarantee progression as group winner. The sporting stakes are clear; the logistical and political backdrop has made the journey to them unusually fraught.