Mohamed Salah and co barred from flying into US city as World Cup team make announcement
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Mirror or go back to LFC Live.
Egypt were ordered to fly back to Spokane after their 3-1 World Cup win over New Zealand17:09, 22 Jun 2026Updated 17:10, 22 Jun 2026The Egyptian Football Association has revealed that their World Cup squad were refused permission to fly to Seattle following their victory over New Zealand. Mohamed Salah starred for his country and Egypt took a giant stride towards securing a place in the round of 32 in Vancouver, Canada.The outgoing Liverpool forward got his name on the scoresheet as his nation triumphed over New Zealand 3-1 in what was a historic first-ever World Cup victory for the Egyptians.The squad had requested to remain in the city once their match against the Kiwis had wrapped up.However, local security officials turned down the request, leaving the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions with no option but to return to Spokane, their tournament base.
The Egyptian FA subsequently released a statement laying bare the disruption caused.Egypt boss Hossam Hossan, in a statement issued by the Egypt FA, said: "The security authorities refused the team's request to stay in the city of Seattle as planned after the New Zealand match in the World Cup, and therefore the team's delegation will return to the city of Spokane."The team had wanted to travel directly to Seattle to preserve the players from travel fatigue due to the numerous trips in preparation for the Iran match on June 26, but following the security stance, the Egypt national team delegation will return to Spokane."The plan was devised to eliminate any needless journeys and afford them plenty of time to prepare for their crucial Group G showdown against Iran on June 27 in Seattle.Instead, Egypt will be forced to resume training in Spokane before settling on an alternative day to travel to Kansas. They were initially planning to establish their base in Arizona, but switched to the Mexican border city after tensions between the Middle Eastern nation and the World Cup hosts commenced.They've had to journey to Los Angeles on match days against New Zealand and Belgium, then fly straight back to their base once the final whistle blew.Prior to the clash with Belgium, US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mulling alleged that an individual with direct links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to board their flight to LA.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Iran dismissed this claim as "lies" and suggested it represented an effort to sabotage their tournament.
They secured draws with New Zealand and Belgium in their opening encounters and currently sit second in the group.Victory over Egypt would secure their place in the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass 'designed for football'This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.