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While the World Cup has received record-breaking viewership and garnered sold-out stadiums, American politics has marred what is supposed to be a global celebration for fans, officials, and staff alike.

The 2026 World Cup has been an indisputable success for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA) and the United States. Digital engagement up until the quarterfinals has reached 20 billion views across platforms, and host stadiums have operated essentially at full capacity, racking up 99.7 percent occupancy levels and 6.25 million attending fans. For the United States, co-hosting the World Cup has generated extraordinary interest in the sport, and the U.S. men’s national team’s round-of-16 loss to Belgium was the most viewed non-NFL telecast since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, peaking at 41 million viewers.

At the same time, staff and fans from select countries have faced disproportionate challenges with entry into the United States. The Trump administration has received steep criticism from immigration and human rights groups surrounding entry protocols for players, officials, and fans. As outlined by Celine Atallah, a Massachusetts immigration attorney, to the BBC, "The visa system is the invisible gatekeeper of the World Cup…FIFA can sell a ticket, but the US government decides who gets a visa, and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] decides who actually enters."

Somali referee Omar Artan was set to be the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup match, but was denied entry on Saturday, June 6, at Miami International Airport despite having been issued a U.S. visa. U.S. Customs and Border Protection initially cited unspecified “vetting concerns,” while a Trump administration official later alleged that Artan had an “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” When asked about Artan, Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House’s Task Force for the World Cup**,** stated that "anyone who is communicating with bad actors that plan harm against the United States of America are not gonna be admitted entrance.”

While the Trump administration alleged terrorism-related concerns, Artan received a hero’s welcome upon his return to Somalia. Fans and government officials alike greeted him at the Aden Adde International Airport with flowers, and thousands later packed into a stadium in Mogadishu to celebrate his return. Ilham Gasser, a Somali member of parliament, expressed her concerns about Artan’s “unfair treatment”, questioning “if these were genuine concerns that an individual had links to terror organizations, many Somalis are asking, why were those concerns not identified in the visa process?"

The Iranian delegation has suffered the geopolitical consequences resulting from the current conflict between Washington and Tehran. All players were finally awarded visas, but just 10 days before their first match. Several federation officials and staff members, including Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj, were refused visas amid allegations by U.S. officials that some members of the delegation had links to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. As a result, the Iranian squad relocated from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. Iranian Ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh initially said the team had been told it would have to “enter and leave the US on the same day as they were playing.” That account was disputed by an Iranian team spokesman, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security later said the players would be permitted to enter the United States the day before their matches. The confusion added another logistical complication for the team. Iran’s football federation also said its ticket allocation for supporters at its three U.S.-based group-stage matches had been withdrawn. The federation accused the United States of obstructing Iranian supporters, while reports identified FIFA as the body with authority over World Cup ticketing and FIFA said it was working with the federation to find a solution.

NationalityFY25 Adjusted Refusal Rate (per U.S. State Department)Algeria51.23%Cape Verde53.87%DRC63.37%Ecuador42.24%Egypt47.61%Ghana64.34%Haiti50.26%Iran62.44%Jordan56.63%Senegal73.96%Uzbekistan52.46%

A BBC World Service analysis of U.S. State Department data found that 11 of 48 countries—Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan, Iran, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, and Senegal— that qualified to compete in the World Cup had visa rejection rates above 40 percent. The average rejection rate for tourist and business visas that fans were encouraged to apply for was around 34 percent. Additional U.S. restrictions have created another obstacle for supporters from several participating countries. Haiti and Iran are among the countries subject to a full suspension of visa issuance, while Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire are subject to partial suspensions that include B-1/B-2 visitor visas. The restrictions contain limited exceptions for certain participants in major sporting events, but those exceptions do not generally extend to spectators. Even fans from countries listed in the Visa Waiver Program, a program that enables citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the U.S. for stays of 90 days or less without a visa, have experienced issues. For example, Scottish supporter Michael Wright received notice that his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) status had switched from “approved” to “not authorized” while he was at the airport, without an explanation as to why.

A 2021 Marquette Sports Law Review article written by Breanna Moe examined U.S. immigration law and how it would be applied to the 2026 tournament, identifying years before the tournament the possibility that the joint U.S.-Mexico-Canada World Cup bid could leave fans and staff out to dry due to subjective visa adjudication protocols. Moe also points out the potential issues created by a joint World Cup bid, as multiple host countries mean different visa adjudication processes. Her analysis highlighted a structural tension in the hosting model: FIFA organizes a global tournament, while host governments retain control over their own immigration and border policies.

Per FIFA’s official stance, “FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications…in line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who spent much of 2025 promising that "everyone will be welcome”, has shifted tone, telling reporters in Mexico City that FIFA is “not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.” The dispute exposes a limitation in FIFA’s authority: despite imposing extensive requirements on World Cup hosts and controlling the tournament itself, FIFA cannot supersede a host country’s immigration laws or determine who is admitted at its borders.

Jules Boykoff, author of Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing and the FIFA Greed Machine, summarizes the 2026 World Cup quite plainly as a “massive paradox”, stating that “on one hand, it has more teams than ever participating…on the other hand…it looks more like a World Cup of exclusion than inclusion.”

Overall, U.S. visa and entry restrictions have complicated access to an otherwise successful 2026 World Cup, exposing a tension between FIFA’s promise of a global tournament and a host government’s authority to determine who can cross its borders.

Author Bio: John Trabulsi is a graduate student in the Master of Public and International Affairs program at the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies as an undergraduate.