A senior White House official defended U.S. entry restrictions affecting some international participants in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, arguing that the measures are needed to maintain security and ensure a safe environment during the global tournament.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup, suggested the decision to block Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan "was for very good reason,” without elaborating.
In a string of remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump has used some of his harshest language against the Horn of Africa country, even as recently as two weeks ago, saying of Somalis in a Cabinet meeting: "They’re all crooks.”
Addressing visa complications for the Iranian delegation, Giuliani said that while 31 players and the primary coaching staff got approval, several other officials were denied. He suggested that some individuals might have misrepresented their roles. "As you can imagine, there are some people that claim that they are coaches that may not be coaches," he said.
Giuliani said the administration is committed to ensuring that individuals "directly working with the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) have no ability to access the United States."
