Is The FIFA World Cup Coming Apart At The Seams?

There has been growing talk in FIFA about obtaining visas for many of the players and visitors for the World Cup! The Guardian wrote:

World Cup 2026 visa chaos: from referee Omar Artan to Iranian officials – who is affected?

Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions

Martin Belam

Tue 9 Jun 2026

For successive men’s World Cup tournaments Fifa has managed to bulldoze its way through costly immigration and entry requirements. In 2014 Brazil passed a law granting free temporary visas to ticket holders, and for Russia and Qatar, the respective autocracies bypassed traditional border friction using Fan IDs and Hayya cards as makeshift visa entry documents that also provided free public transport. Not so in 2026, where Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions. Here are some of the people that have been affected.

But here in the U.S.,

Omar Artan, one of 52 referees appointed by Fifa for the tournament, has been refused entry to the US after arriving in Miami. Artan had been set to become the first person from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup.

Fifa confirmed he “will be unable to train and officiate” and washed its hands of the diplomatic consequences. In a statement, the governing body said: “Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications … a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

And then there is...

Visa denials, border incidents cast shadow over 2026 FIFA World Cup

Treatment of delegations from Iran, Iraq, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, all World Cup qualifiers, as well as FIFA’s silence over the incidents, sparks widespread criticism in sports community

AA

Yunus Kaymaz

09 June 2026

- US denies visas to 13 members of Iran’s national team delegation and detains Iraqi footballer Aymen Hussein for 7 hours at Chicago airport

- US also turns away Somali referee Omar Artan, invited by FIFA, and subjects Senegalese and Uzbek delegations to strict security screenings

Just days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, several countries have found themselves in the spotlight not for their preparations on the pitch, but for visa disputes, lengthy interrogations, and heightened security procedures.

The treatment of national team delegations from Iran, Iraq, Senegal, and Uzbekistan – all of which qualified for the tournament – as well as the US decision to deny entry to a Somali referee appointed by FIFA, has triggered widespread criticism across the sporting world.

FIFA has faced growing scrutiny for remaining silent as the incidents unfolded and for failing to respond to developments many critics say contradict the inclusive spirit of a global sporting event.

But as they say on those late-night infomercials, "But wait! There's more!"

The Council on Foreign Relations writes,

For fans who clear the legal entry barriers to attend U.S. games, another hurdle is cost. Aside from this year’s games having the most expensive tickets of any cup so far, the Iran war caused airline prices to soar, and nonimmigrant visa holders from five participating countries—Algeria, Cape Verde, the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia—expected to face a $15,000 bond requirement to attend matches on U.S. soil. In mid-May, the U.S. government waived the requirement for fans from those five countries who had purchased tournament tickets as of mid-April. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could also ramp up screenings for visitors from countries not affected by current travel restrictions. One proposal would require applicants from forty-two countries—including close U.S. partners—to hand over troves of online data, though it remains unfinalized just a week before the tournament’s opening. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed in May that the new rule likely would not be finalized until later this year, but the agency planned to conduct more targeted social media screenings of select travelers. 

High costs, intense application processes, and bans aside, Alden suggested another barrier could be psychological: “Are people going to be scared to enter the United States?” 

Ad Week reported that "Visa costs and travel warnings are keeping overseas fans home, raising questions about the cachet brands like Adidas and McDonald's pay billions for"

Donald "The Art of the Deal" Trump's touch turns gold into lead. It looks like his track record is catching up with him.