Certain fears around this World Cup have been largely avoided. There were no notable security issues to the public. The stadiums were largely full after a slower start. The football has not been low intensity and the weather didn’t interrupt much.
But don’t think that this made the World Cup free of controversy. From Iran to Folarin Balogun and suspended referees to gaudy glitz, here are nine things that have ground my gears over the last six weeks…
Omar Artan’s absence
Artan is an elite referee who was selected by Fifa for this tournament. He held a valid US visa and a diplomatic passport organised through the Somalian embassy in Nairobi. And he was blocked from entering the US when he arrived for the officials’ pre-tournament camp in Miami.
US border and customs subsequently accused Artan of having links to a terrorist organisation, something that he strenuously denied. Uefa then appointed him as the referee in the Super Cup final, which you have to say is magnificent PR.
