USA rejects visiting rights as World Cup continues to change

Egypt has emerged as one of the headlines of the first phase of the 2026 World Cup after topping Group G.

The Pharaohs returned to the World Cup this summer after missing out on the qualifiers for the 2022 tournament.

Played against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran, Egypt went into the tournament knowing that qualifying for the qualifying rounds was a sensible thing to do.

Their campaign started with a tough draw against Belgium.

That result quickly put Egypt in contention going into their second group game.

Attention then turned to the meeting with New Zealand in Vancouver.

The game proved to be a milestone in Egyptian football.

After falling behind, Egypt responded brilliantly and won 3-1.

Mohamed Salah was once again at the center of events as Egypt came from behind to claim all three points, and the result moved Egypt to the top of Group G and left them in a strong position ahead of their final group game against Iran.

Victory also took on more significance.

Egypt had never won a game in a World Cup final, so their success against New Zealand represented a historic achievement for the national team.

Salah’s impact in the competition continued to attract attention.

The former Liverpool player added another World Cup goal to his international record in the win over New Zealand, and became the oldest African to score and assist in a World Cup match.

Many players in the Egyptian team also performed well in the opening two games.

This team’s attacking threat and intensity helped them to qualify for the playoffs. However, preparations for a decisive confrontation with Iran did not go well.

Egypt refused the green light to go to Seattle by the US authorities

Indeed, Egypt faced unexpected travel problems immediately after the victory over New Zealand.

The team had planned to fly directly from Vancouver to Seattle, with Egypt due to face Iran in Seattle in their final group game and wanted to stay there to reduce travel demands on the players.

Instead, those plans were blocked.

Local security authorities have rejected a request for the Egyptian team to stay in Seattle following the New Zealand match.

Because of this, the team was forced to return to their training ground in Spokane – which is almost 300 miles away – rather than continue directly to Seattle.

The Egyptian Football Association then released an official statement explaining the situation.

The coach of the national team, Hossam Hassan, confirmed that the team’s plans have been changed following the decision of the security authorities.

This change means that Egypt have to travel again before facing Iran in one of the most important games of their tournament.

The disruption comes at an important time.

A win over Iran would guarantee Egypt a place in the knockout stages, and a draw might be enough.

So the issue of travel has become a big talking point in the group.

Reports indicate that Egyptian officials were hoping that staying close to the venue would help the players recover properly after New Zealand’s victory.

Instead, the team had to adjust their preparations in a short period of time.

This strange situation has attracted the attention of the international media as Egypt started well in this tournament and the importance of the upcoming match against Iran.

Despite the setback, Egypt is still focused on getting games.

However, since Iran has also been denied any training rights in the US, it is another blemish on Donald Trump’s handling of the tournament.