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Egypt denied entry into US city hours after earning long-awaited World Cup victory
23rd June, 2026 01:26 AM
The off-field drama and restrictions in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 caught up with the Egyptian national football team after US security authorities turned down their request to stay in Seattle.
In a statement on Monday, June 22, 2026, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) confirmed the forced change of travel plans ahead of its upcoming World Cup fixtures.
The Egypt team director Ibrahim Hassan stated that the Pharaohs had planned to move directly to Seattle after their match against New Zealand in Canada to avoid extra travel and reduce player fatigue.
According to Ibrahim Hassan, the team was forced to return to Spokane, Washington, after US security agencies refused to approve their request.
“Ibrahim Hassan, manager of Egypt’s senior national football team, confirmed that the team will depart at exactly 12:30 PM Canada time—11:30 PM Cairo time—aboard a private plane provided by the international football federation “FIFA” to the American city of Spokane, following the match against New Zealand in the second round of the first group stage of the 2026 World Cup, which was held in the Canadian city of Vancouver,” a statement from the federation read in part.
“Hassan added that the flight from the Canadian city of Vancouver to the American city of Spokane takes 45 minutes,” the federation added.
The decision means the team will continue its preparations while based in Spokane, despite concerns about the additional travel ahead of their next game.
Egypt’s first win
This comes hours after goals from Mostafa Zico, Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet saw Egypt create history as they came from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1 and claim their first FIFA World Cup victory since making their debut 92 years and 25 days ago.
“It’s incredible. I don’t know how to express it in words. It’s a great achievement for all the players, for the staff, so hopefully we can carry on like this in the group, and we can write history and qualify – and in years to come it will be remembered as one the best achievements in the history [of Egyptian football]. We have to enjoy today, enjoy tomorrow, then focus on the next game,” Salah said after the game.
The Pharaohs currently lead Group G with four points, followed by Iran, Belgium, and New Zealand, respectively.
