For successive men’s World Cup tournaments Fifa has managed to bulldoze its way through costly immigration and entry requirements. In 2014 Brazil passed a law granting free temporary visas to ticket holders, and for Russia and Qatar, the respective autocracies bypassed traditional border friction using Fan IDs and Hayya cards as makeshift visa entry documents that also provided free public transport. Not so in 2026, where Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions. Here are some of the people that have been affected.
Omar Artan
Omar Artan, one of 52 referees appointed by Fifa for the tournament, has been refused entry to the US after arriving in Miami. Artan had been set to become the first person from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup.
Fifa confirmed he “will be unable to train and officiate” and washed its hands of the diplomatic consequences. In a statement, the governing body said: “Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications … a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
Quick GuideSomali referee 'in positive mood' despite World Cup ordeal
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The Somali referee who has been denied entry into the United States for the World Cup has spoken out about his ordeal.
Omar Artan, the 34-year-old who was named 2025 men’s referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football (Caf), landed in Miami on a flight from Istanbul on Saturday, but was refused entrance into the country by US Customs and Border Patrol. He would have been the first Somali referee to take charge of a World Cup match.
“Despite the circumstances, I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career,” Artan said in a statement, according to the Miami Herald.
“I would like to thank Fifa and Caf for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future. I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.” Reuters
The Iranian squad
State media reports that at least 15 Iranian officials and team staff – described as “integral” to the campaign – were denied visas. While the US insists it has granted entry to all “necessary” support staff, Iran’s football federation claims the co-hosts have also revoked the ticket allocation for their group games in an effort to “obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters”.
“We are upset about this behaviour”, said the head coach, Amir Ghalenoei. “It has certainly never happened before.”
Iran has been forced to move its training base across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. The squad appears to face the logistical absurdity of commuting into the US for their Group G fixtures in Inglewood and Seattle. Iran’s ambassador to Mexico indicated the team must enter and leave US soil on the same day as their games, which would prevent them carrying out Fifa’s mandated pre-match media duties, though this has been contradicted by Iranian state television.
The Iraqi striker and team photographer
The international conflict involving Iran in the Middle East has had a severe knock-on effect for Iraqi football. US consular services in Iraq are suspended, rendering standard visa applications practically impossible.
For those who already possessed paperwork, the border has proved hostile. The 30-year-old Al-Karma striker Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport before being allowed entry. The team’s photographer, Talal Salah, was less fortunate; he was detained for more than 10 hours and ultimately denied entry following a search of his phone.
The South African team
South Africa’s departure for the World Cup – where they face Mexico in the opening match on 11 June – was severely delayed by paperwork errors. Following a celebratory departure parade, their chartered flight from Johannesburg to Mexico City was grounded because several players did not have their Mexican entry documents in order.
This, it seems, is more to do with incompetence than malice. The country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, described the situation as “embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players and coaching staff”, pointing the blame squarely at the South African Football Association.
The Swiss forward
The Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was forced to join his teammates late in their Group B camp after hitting a roadblock with his US entry visa. The issue is believed to relate to a 2023 conviction for making multiple threats, for which the Rennes player received a suspended fine. The Cameroon-born striker had to make an emergency visit to the US embassy in Bern to secure 11th-hour approval to travel.
The Scottish fans
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) scheme used by the US has also thrown British fans into chaos. BBC Scotland News reported on two separate families intending to travel to support Scotland on their first World Cup adventure since 1998, who found their approved status suddenly revoked just days before departure.
The Speirs brothers from Kirkcaldy applied for their Estas on 14 December; they were approved the following day, only to be marked “travel not authorised” on 3 June.
Blanket travel bans and the soaring cost of entry
For World Cup fans outside the select few nations included in the Esta scheme, the entry barriers are financial as well as bureaucratic. An Esta costs $40 (£30), but a standard required visitor visa sets fans back $185 (£140) – a steep premium before booking flights and tickets.
Overall, the chances of entering the US have plummeted since Donald Trump began his second presidential term. A sweeping travel ban fully or partially bars citizens from 39 countries from entering the country, while immigrant visa processing has been completely halted in 75 nations.
Of the 48 teams competing at this World Cup, Haiti and Iran face full entry bans to the US, while Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal face partial restrictions. Furthermore, several competing nations suffer from standard US visa rejection rates exceeding 40%, including Uzbekistan and Ecuador, alongside numerous entrants from Africa and the Middle East.
The US did make one minor concession, waiving a $15,000 visa bond that threatened fans from five African nations – Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia – a few weeks ago. For thousands of supporters, journalists and officials, the biggest World Cup in modern history is fast becoming the most inaccessible World Cup in modern history.