What has happened at the #2026WorldCup over the last 48 hours:
• Swiss footballer Embolo's visa was put under review and he was only able to join his team days later.
• Iraqi national team player Aymen Hussein was held for questioning for nearly 7 hours upon entering the United States.
• The Iranian national team spent days dealing with visa procedures at the U.S. Consulate in Türkiye. The U.S. only allowed them entry on match days. Fifteen members of the delegation were denied visas.
• Omar Abdulkadir Artan, named CAF's Best African Referee of 2025, was denied a visa. Despite travelling to the U.S. with a diplomatic passport, he was refused entry and sent back. FIFA announced that he will not be able to officiate at the tournament.
• The South African national team arrived in the United States much later than planned because part of the delegation was not granted visas.
• Members of the Senegal national team staff were forced to remove their shoes and subjected to lengthy searches, sparking accusations of racism.
• The Uzbekistan national team was searched with bomb-sniffing dogs and the footage went viral in international media.
• Some Scottish supporters, despite being eligible to enter the U.S. visa-free under the ESTA programme, had their travel authorisations revoked just days before departure.
• Many supporters who had already bought tickets and booked accommodation had their visa applications rejected, resulting in financial losses.
This is utter bullshit. When Indonesia refused to grant the Israeli under 17 team visa’s for the 2023 U-20 World Cup, FIFA stripped Indonesia’s hosting rights and moved it to Argentina. So @FIFAcom can stop with the lies.
When it was Qatar 2022 BBC, Sky News and ITV News were doing segments for 40 days and 40 nights about human rights abuse and campaigning for alcohol to be allowed during the World Cup. But USA is refusing to allow a referee and Iran’s team in and they’ve gone quiet. Cowards
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.
The Senegalese 🇸🇳 delegation gets this treatment on arrival in the USA. Full tarmac searches, shoes off, bags turned inside out like criminals.
This is straight up humiliation and a disgrace. They’d never put white boys through the same.
A word in your ear, Mr Trump and America.
Don’t ask to host a World Cup if you are not prepared to welcome with equality and open arms all the countries who have qualified fairly & squarely for it, and who have every right to be part of it. https://t.co/ZOuk1QsS6f
Leí que Irán tendrá su sede en Mexico pero jugara en USA y que tendrá que llegar y salir de USA el mismo día del juego. Si es así es una vergüenza que la FIFA lo permita y que los demás participantes no defiendan por DEPORTIVIDAD a Iran. ES INACEPTABLE SI ESTO ES CIERTO
we were told that 2010 was the worst World Cup because it was being held in South Africa, we were told that the World Cups in Russia and Qatar are going to be the worst because they were being held in authoritarian countries.
We were told that USA would be the best host for WC because it is a democracy and has the best NFL stadiums.
All these narratives were set by the media which wanted us to hate on countries which are not in Western hemisphere.
Norway said that they are not going to play in World Cup in Qatar even if they qualified (they didn’t). Denmark left it until the last minute to confirm their participation in the World Cup 2022Germany forced their players to make political statements before the match in FIFA WC 2022 even though some players didn’t want to do it.
BBC literally disrupted the coverage of one of the best opening ceremonies of the World Cup in Qatar just for virtue signaling.
but for World Cup 2026, the whole media is silent other than a few token articles here and there and Norway and Germany aren’t protesting anything when there’s so much to protest about 🤡
🇲🇦 ⚽️ Moroccan football star Hakim Ziyech changed his Instagram profile picture to an image of a Palestinian child holding a book while looking back at Israeli soldiers.
Imagine Qatar in 2022 held an American or English player for seven hours at the airport.
The tournament would be immediately cancelled and taken to a different country.
This competition is going to be the worst ever. Ever.
🚨 Dozens of Morocco fans have been denied U.S. visas for the 2026 World Cup 🇲🇦
😞 40 out of 42 applicants were reportedly rejected without explanation, despite already purchasing match tickets and preparing for the trip.
💸 Supporters have already spent thousands of dollars on tickets, hotels, and visa-related expenses.
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was detained for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving for the FIFA World Cup. The team’s official photographer was also denied entry. The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 with growing complaints about US immigration procedures.
No country should be allowed to host the World Cup while imposing discriminatory rules on qualified and participating teams.
This ought to be a very basic requirement.