US gives Iran 2-day entry window before Seattle World Cup match
What's new: Iran can arrive before its June 26 game with Egypt, but must still leave the US the night the match ends.
The United States has widened Iran's travel window for its final World Cup group match, allowing the team to enter Seattle two days before its June 26 game against Egypt. For Iran's first two matches, players were only permitted to enter the US 24 hours before kickoff and had to leave on match day, returning to their base in Tijuana, Mexico. The change follows complaints from the Iranian Football Federation, which argued the rules created unequal preparation conditions. Coach Amir Ghalenoei and captain Mehdi Taremi had both criticized the schedule, saying it hurt recovery and training. Iran has drawn its first two matches and can reach the knockout stage with a win over Egypt.