This is the largest sporting event on the planet, despite what some Americans may believe, and the decision to prevent Africa's leading referee from participating in the World Cup sends an extraordinarily damaging message about the United States and the direction in which it is heading.
I am genuinely astonished that FIFA has not lodged a formal protest with the United States Government and sought intervention to ensure that this referee, who is held in the highest regard within the international refereeing community, is granted a visa to undertake one of the most important roles in world football. For any referee, appointment to a World Cup is among the greatest honours the sport can bestow.
A person's country of birth should never be the sole reason for preventing them from entering a country to carry out a specific professional duty at a specific international event. Particularly when the President of the United States publicly assured the world that participants would be welcomed.
If nationality alone has been the determining factor, then this is a serious stain upon both the tournament and the host nation. It raises profound questions about fairness, equality of treatment and whether political considerations are now taking precedence over sporting merit.
The World Cup is supposed to bring nations together. Decisions such as this achieve precisely the opposite.