How US Policies Turned World Cup 2026 Into Nightmare
How US Policies Turned World Cup 2026 Into Nightmare
The first-ever 48-team FIFA World Cup, hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, has been overshadowed by a series of controversies, including entry bans and visa denials.
Key problems so far:
🟠Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was detained at Miami airport, held for 11 hours, then deported despite reportedly holding a valid US visa and a diplomatic passport;
🟠Senegal's national team underwent detailed bag inspections directly on the airport tarmac in San Antonio;
🟠Hundreds of fans from Morocco, Scotland, and other countries had their visas revoked or denied just days before departure, despite already purchasing match tickets;
🟠Because of late visa approvals and several visa denials, Iran's national team was forced to stay in Mexico and cross the border only on match days;
🟠Iranian fans' ticket quota was revoked two days before the World Cup started;
🟠Iraq’s World Cup striker, Aymen Hussein, was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago O'Hare Airport, including a search of his personal phone, before being allowed entry;
🟠Haitian player Woodensky Pierre received his visa so late that he missed the first seven days of training and a friendly game;
🟠Swiss striker Breel Embolo had a two-day delay in the authorization of his travel to the US because of a criminal conviction for an incident in 2018;
🟠Players from Uzbekistan faced drug-sniffing dogs and metal detector checks at New York airport;
🟠Ticket prices have skyrocketed, increasing sixfold compared to the 2022 World Cup, with US match tickets ranging from $400 to $2,000.
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