The U.S. has relaxed its travel restrictions for Iran’s World Cup soccer team, allowing them to enter the country two days before their next match. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed that the team must leave after Friday’s match in Seattle.

The Iran Football Federation stated that the team would leave their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday headed for Seattle. According to Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, this decision was based on the smooth execution of previous team movements.

This policy shift was initially reported by NBC News during U.S.-Iran negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict in Iran. The Iranian team has voiced concerns about travel restrictions and difficulties faced since the war began. They had requested to move matches to Mexico due to diplomatic ties and were granted permission to relocate their base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana just weeks before their arrival.

Several team members and staff have faced travel bans to the U.S., and the team hasn’t been able to travel for matches until the day before. Iran’s Coach Amir Ghalenoei has mentioned that such restrictions put the team at a disadvantage, especially with limited time to prepare for games, like the noon match against Belgium which ended in a 0-0 draw.

While it is standard for teams to arrive one day prior to a match, Iran requested additional time for acclimation and recovery, particularly for the long journey to Seattle. They plan to train at the University of Washington on Thursday.

Team Captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh expressed the team’s desire for equal treatment as other teams, hoping to include all involved personnel without restrictions. The team encountered challenges during travel between Tijuana and Los Angeles, with a typically short flight taking five hours before their match against New Zealand, according to Captain Mehdi Taremi.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin claimed the team attempted to bring someone linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which the soccer federation denied, describing the claim as untrue. While the team has focused on football, they have acknowledged victims of a missile strike at a Middle Eastern school, reportedly launched by the U.S. Players wore pins with “168,” representing the attack’s death toll, during their arrival in Mexico and left messages for peace in their locker room.

Four small flags with the number 168 were seen during Iran’s final training in Tijuana prior to their Seattle departure. It’s uncertain if Iran’s next opponent, Egypt, will receive similar privileges to arrive early in Seattle. Egypt’s request to travel directly after defeating New Zealand in Vancouver was denied by FIFA due to security constraints. Egypt has since returned to their base camp in Spokane, Washington.