![Top left to right: Uzbekistan team and Senegal player. Bottom left to right: Omar Artan and Aymen Hussein [Images: Anadolu Agency]](https://1nationmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_2663-1068x601.png "IMG_2663")
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup prepares to kick off across the United States, Canada and Mexico, questions are growing about whether all participants will receive the welcome traditionally associated with one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
In the space of just a few days, a Somali referee has been denied entry into the US, an Iraqi striker was reportedly questioned for nearly seven hours, Senegalese players were filmed undergoing stringent security checks, and members of Uzbekistan’s national team reportedly faced intensive inspections upon arrival.
Taken together, the incidents have fuelled concern that America’s increasingly restrictive immigration environment is colliding with the image of a tournament built around global inclusion.
The World Cup has not even begun, but for some participants, the first experience of football’s biggest stage has not been a stadium, a training camp or a welcome ceremony. It has been an immigration checkpoint.
Somali referee barred despite World Cup appointment
The most high-profile case involves Somali referee Omar Artan, who had been selected by FIFA to officiate at the World Cup and was set to become the first Somali referee in the tournament’s history.
Artan was denied entry into the US after arriving in Miami despite reportedly holding valid travel documentation. FIFA later confirmed that he would no longer be able to participate in the tournament.
US Customs and Border Protection said a Somali national travelling to the World Cup had been subjected to additional inspection and was ultimately refused entry due to what it described as “vetting concerns”.
The decision has drawn criticism from Somali officials and football observers, particularly given Artan’s standing within the game. He was named the Confederation of African Football’s Referee of the Year for 2025 and was among the elite officials selected for the tournament.
The incident has also reignited debate around the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Somalia is among the countries affected by recent travel restrictions introduced by the White House, leading critics to question whether nationality and political climate are shaping who is welcomed into the US.
Iraqi star questioned for ‘seven hours’
Concerns deepened when Iraq’s star striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly detained and questioned for nearly seven hours after arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Hussein, whose goal secured Iraq’s first World Cup qualification in four decades, was eventually released and allowed to join his teammates.
However, reports indicate that Iraq’s team photographer, Talal Salah, was questioned for more than ten hours and ultimately denied entry into the US.
American authorities have not publicly explained the reasons behind the prolonged questioning. But the incident sparked alarm among Iraqi supporters, many of whom viewed the treatment as excessive for accredited World Cup participants.
For Iraq, whose return to the World Cup was meant to be a moment of national pride, the episode has instead placed attention on the treatment of its delegation before a ball has even been kicked.
Senegal and Uzbekistan raise further concerns
Footage circulating on social media over the weekend appeared to show members of Senegal’s national team being subjected to extensive security checks shortly after arriving in the US.
Players were reportedly screened near the airport tarmac while standing alongside their luggage before entering the terminal. Neither FIFA nor US authorities immediately issued a detailed public explanation regarding the procedures shown in the footage.
Reports concerning Uzbekistan’s national team have generated similar concern. International media outlets reported that players and officials experienced lengthy inspections and security procedures upon arrival, prompting criticism from commentators who argued that World Cup participants were being treated more like security risks than invited guests.
Security screening is routine at international borders, especially during major global events. But critics argue that the pattern emerging around teams and officials from Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia risks creating a damaging perception of unequal treatment.
Immigration politics enters football
The controversy comes against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda.
Since returning to office, Trump’s administration has expanded immigration enforcement measures, revived travel restrictions affecting several Muslim-majority countries, and increased the visibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across the US.
Civil liberties groups have accused the administration of weaponising immigration enforcement for political purposes, while supporters argue that stricter vetting is necessary for national security.
The World Cup is now becoming an unexpected testing ground for those policies.
For FIFA, the challenge is particularly sensitive. The governing body has long promoted football as a vehicle for international unity, yet some participants are already finding themselves caught in the realities of American border enforcement before they even reach the pitch.
South Africa’s visa frustrations
South Africa has also faced administrative challenges linked to the tournament.
Bafana Bafana’s preparations were disrupted by visa complications involving travel documentation required for the team’s participation in World Cup-related activities in North America.
The issue was different from the cases involving Somalia and Iraq, but it has added to wider concerns about whether players, officials, media personnel and supporters from the Global South could face disproportionate bureaucratic obstacles throughout the tournament.
For many nations, World Cup qualification is supposed to represent arrival on the global stage. But the early experiences of several delegations suggest that access to that stage may not be felt equally by all.
A global festival overshadowed by the border
Millions of supporters are expected to travel to North America over the coming weeks, making the World Cup one of the largest international gatherings in modern sporting history.
Most visitors will likely enter and leave the US without incident. But the experiences of Artan, Hussein, Senegal’s players and others suggest that travellers from certain regions may face heightened scrutiny.
The concern is not simply about border procedures themselves. Every state has the right to enforce immigration rules. The concern is about consistency, perception and the political environment in which those rules are being applied.
A World Cup host nation is expected to make participants feel welcome. When players, officials and accredited personnel encounter lengthy interrogations, additional inspections or outright exclusion, questions inevitably arise about whether football’s global festival is being overshadowed by domestic politics.
As the tournament prepares to begin, the world’s attention will soon turn to the action inside the stadiums. Yet for some visitors, their first experience of the 2026 World Cup may not be football at all, but the sharp edge of America’s racist border regime.
