The White House is engaged in discussions over relaxing the severe travel restrictions placed on Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the United States co-hosting the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

Under the current visa conditions, Iran's players are permitted to enter the United States only one day before each match and must depart on the same day the game is played. The team is based in Mexico for the duration of the tournament.

The restrictions prompted head coach Amir Ghalenoei to describe Iran as the "most oppressed" team at the tournament, a claim he made following a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles in their opening group fixture.

Seattle match prompts fresh talks

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House's World Cup task force, confirmed that "discussions are going on" regarding the travel arrangements for Iran's third group match — a fixture against Egypt in Seattle on 27 June.

Giuliani acknowledged that the tight schedule was manageable for the first two matches in Los Angeles, which sit roughly a 30-minute flight from Iran's base in Mexico. The Seattle leg, however, involves a flight of up to three hours, which he said justified revisiting the terms.

"I know that the president wants to be able to really balance the competitive balance on the field while making sure we're not compromising our national security," Giuliani told KOMO TV News, a local Seattle station.

"We want to make sure the Iranian team has the opportunity to come in and compete. What we have done for the Iranian team has been spectacular and credit to President Trump on this."

Giuliani did not confirm whether Iran had been included directly in those discussions, and he did not respond to a request for comment from BBC Sport.

Iran files formal complaint with FIFA

Iran's football authorities have made clear they consider the restrictions fundamentally unfair. The Football Federation of Iran told the BBC the team should be allowed to arrive in each host city two days before every match and return to their base camp the day after the game, "in order to achieve optimal technical and physical preparation."

"The Football Federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams' preparation processes," the federation said.

The federation added that it would formally lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels to express its dissatisfaction.

Iran's next fixture is against Belgium in Inglewood, Los Angeles on Sunday at 20:00 BST.