The 2026 FIFA World Cup was supposed to be America’s grand showcase to the world. Instead, days before kickoff, the tournament’s headlines aren’t about goals and group-stage drama. They’re about a Somali referee turned away at Miami’s airport and an Iraqi striker detained for nearly seven hours at Chicago O’Hare.
President Trump stepped in on June 10-11 to assure the public his administration was “working very closely” with FIFA to sort out the mess. The timing was notable: the tournament was set to begin on June 11-12, meaning the reassurance came roughly 24 hours before the first whistle.
A tournament tangled in travel bans
The US has suspended immigrant visa processing for 75 countries and implemented heightened scrutiny at ports of entry. The tournament involves 39 countries under travel restrictions, including full bans for Haiti and Iran.
The most visible casualty so far: Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry at Miami airport on June 8 despite holding a valid visa. Then there’s Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein, who sat in detention at O’Hare for close to seven hours before eventually being processed. Some Iranian players only received their visas at the last minute before the tournament’s opening matches.
