So far at the 2026 FIFA Epstein Cup before a ball kicked:
- Senegal & Uzbekistan squads treated like criminals upon arrival given full cavity searches;
- Africa’s best referee sent back to Somalia despite having a diplomatic passport;
- Iraq team photographer sent back despite valid visa;
- AIPS (international sport journalist association) calling on FIFA to sort out unacceptable visa issues of African & Iranian journalists;
- 90% of Moroccan fans with tickets denied entry
- 14 members of Iran backroom staff denied visas
Not a word from Gianni ”today I feel black/gay/disabled etc” Infantino.
Congratulations, @AlexZverev on winning @rolandgarros! 🏆 So well deserved after all the hard work and perseverance. You’ve been chasing your first Grand Slam for a long time, and you absolutely deserve it!
And congratulations to Flavio as well for a fantastic tournament! 👏🏻
ICE detain leading scorer for Iraq soccer team—interrogate him for 7 hours.
Inspect his phone & perform body search—he was just entering U.S. with teammates for World Cup.
Team's official photographer denied entry altogether—and sent back to Iraq for "classified information."
Aymen Hussein is Iraq's star striker and all-time leading scorer.
Fans were waiting to cheer the team on as they arrived at the airport in the early hours of the morning with Iraqi flags.
Customs and Border Protection released the following statement in response:
"All travelers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to inspection and vetting. Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis."
Incident occurred at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Illinois.