Claim: Iran’s national team was instructed to leave the United States the same night after drawing with Egypt because of national security reasons.

More than a week remains before the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its conclusion. But for Team Iran, the journey ended on Saturday, June 27, after a dramatic 3-3 draw between Austria and Algeria in the final Group G matches dashed their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

A day earlier, Team Melli had battled Egypt to a thrilling 1-1 draw in their Group G finale at Seattle Stadium on Friday, June 26. In the aftermath of Friday’s match, the Iranian national team was forced to leave the United States within hours of the final whistle. 

But was the reason behind their immediate departure after every game a national security issue? Here’s what we found.

Our Verdict: False

Instead of national security, the reason behind the Iranian team’s immediate departure after every game was due to visa issues. For months before the World Cup, Team Melli’s participation was clouded by uncertainty amid the conflict in the Gulf. Although the United States had allowed Team Iran to participate in the 2026 World Cup, challenges persisted after the tournament kicked off, with the team encountering visa complications and issues related to their stay in the United States.

On June 15, after Iran’s match against New Zealand, the team was asked to leave the country within hours of the final whistle. They returned to their World Cup base in Mexico after the match ended at approximately 8 pm local time (03:00 GMT). The following day, United States officials confirmed that the Iranian squad would be required to leave the country immediately after each of their matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.

“We were clear this was the process,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told The Associated Press.

This was confirmed by the team’s coach Amir Ghalenoei during an interview with CBS News. Ghalenoei also clarified the exact conditions by which the Iran team would be allowed to enter the country. 

“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match. They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles. They’ll be able to do it again in Seattle,” Giuliani said. 

Giuliani further added that some of the support staff and team officials were denied entry into the country. When asked why, Ghalenoei pointed to comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The latter had claimed people in the team with direct ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be denied entry into the US. 

“Secretary Rubio said very clearly: Anybody with direct ties to the IRGC is not coming into the United States of America, and they’re not going to let the World Cup be the reason why they can come in,” Giuliani said. “So I think it’s very clear why.”

In any case, the Iranian team had to leave the country within the hour after the final whistle. So, they left the United States and returned to Mexico. And when the 3-3 draw between Austria and Algeria confirmed Iran’s elimination from the tournament, Team Melli departed Mexico for Iran. 

The squad arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, July 1, where they received a heroes’ welcome. Hundreds of fans gathered at Mehrabad Airport to greet the players despite their group-stage exit.

Our fact-checking sources:

• AP News, June 17, 2026. US official says Iran knew team would have to leave the country shortly after World Cup match
• CBS 17 This Morning, June 16, 2026. US official says Iran knew team would have to leave the country shortly after World Cup match
• The Report, July 2, 2026. Iran World Cup squad receives heroes‍‍` welcome in Tehran