World Cup 2026: Refused entry, players interrogated, fans sidelined - scandals mount as FIFA stays silent

Co-hosted by Donald Trump's United States, the 2026 World Cup is set to kick off in an unsavoury climate.

A referee selected by FIFA was turned away on his arrival on American soil 72 hours before the opening match, on the grounds that the President of the United States, who has described his country as "backward", has placed it on his lengthy blacklist of barred nations.

That barely believable mishap is the one that has just befallen Somali referee Omar Artan, who was named African referee of the year at the CAF Awards last November in Rabat. Determined to officiate at his first World Cup, the official had nevertheless managed to obtain a Somali diplomatic passport.

That was not enough to make the American administration relent: it justified its decision on the grounds that it was impossible to verify the official's "background". Quite what could have been hidden in the Somali's whistle is anyone's guess; Trump had already described his compatriots as "garbage" a few months ago.

Interrogations and metal detectors - players treated like criminals

Iraq captain Aymen Hussein, for his part, did make it through the security check, but not without difficulty: according to the Iraqi press, the forward was interrogated by the American authorities for nearly seven hours on his arrival in Chicago. Having a father who was a soldier killed by the Islamic State and a brother kidnapped by Daesh was clearly not enough to place him above all suspicion.

The Senegal and Uzbekistan squads also got through their routine checks, both passing the metal-detector examination imposed on them. The scene was one that, until now, you would have thought reserved for ordinary citizens, or even for criminals, and amounts to the absurd when applied to professional, international footballers.

Still, those two teams can count themselves lucky: at least they will be allowed supporters in the stadiums. Not everyone will have that good fortune. On Tuesday, the Iranian federation denounced what it called an underhand move by the American authorities, who had reportedly decided at the last minute to withdraw the 8% ticket quota that was due to Team Melli, just as it is to every participating nation.

? Contrasting welcomes for Senegal and Spain ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

◼️ Senegalese players undergo individual security searches on airport tarmac after landing in US

◼️ Spanish players are welcomed with music, celebrations and fanfare upon arrival in Mexico pic.twitter.com/oIcJ1TRy9K
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 9, 2026

A party without the supporters

That row is a reminder that some nations, such as Haiti, will not be able to count on a single travelling supporter, due to their inclusion on Trump's blacklist. And there is no need to mention the unfortunate Scottish fans who were turned away without explanation after making their bookings, on the grounds that their ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) request, a simplified visa system, had ultimately been refused.

African football and its Africa Cup of Nations tournaments have had their share of widely reported off-pitch scandals, and so are not necessarily best placed to lecture others.

But seeing such absurdities, ones that some banana republics would not even have dared to commit, being broadcast worldwide just before a planetary event, and by the American superpower, is bound to be shocking.

FIFA's non-existent support for Artan

And yet the worst may lie elsewhere. After all, how can one ignore that all of this is unfolding with FIFA's complicit silence? What has the governing body of world football had to say when Artan was turned back? A laconic statement: "FIFA does not intervene in the immigration procedures of the host country, including the granting of visas." Thank you, goodbye.

How distant the days seem when FIFA president Gianni Infantino was pledging: "It is obvious that, when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team who qualify for a World Cup, must have access to the country - otherwise there will be no World Cup." (Morning Star Online, 2017).

Since then, for all his fine speeches, all the official has obtained from the Trump administration has been some fairly minor concessions, such as the removal of the bond of up to 15,000 dollars that supporters from Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Cape Verde and Ivory Coast had to pay on their arrival in America. A decision that "demonstrates once again our ongoing collaboration with the United States government and the White House World Cup task force", FIFA boasted in May.

FIFA and its golden goose

As is often the case, FIFA is above all looking out for its main interest - the financial one - by being careful not to upset anyone, and certainly not the powerful host nation. As long as its golden goose is not under threat.

How, indeed, would FIFA react if the American authorities changed their minds and decided to turn away the DR Congo national side on its arrival, arguing, for instance, that the health protocol imposed because of the Ebola virus had not been respected?

Would the governing body content itself with the same laconic statement as it did for Artan? Or would it finally swing into action because of the lost revenue that would be caused by the cancellation of three group-stage matches? It would be fascinating to know the answer. But, for the sake of the Leopards, one can only hope it will not come to that.