Ahead of their final match in the group stages at the Fifa World Cup 2026, the Egyptian national team's plan to fly directly from Vancouver to Seattle was declined by local security officials, according to the group's director, Ibrahim Hassan. "Security authorities had rejected the team's request to stay in Seattle, as had been planned following its World Cup match against New Zealand. As a result, the Egyptian delegation will return to Spokane," Hassan said in a statement released by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). The statement did not provide a reason for the authorities' refusal. Hassan, who runs the team beside his twin brother Hossam, Egypt's coach, added that the team had wanted to travel directly from Vancouver, where they beat New Zealand 3-1,.