The 23rd Fifa World Cup kicks off in Mexico City on Thursday but the headlines are mostly being made off the pitch in the United States of America (USA).
The football audience and world at large has been left in awe in the past weeks in the wake of implementation of tough restrictions to officials, fans and players before kick-off.
Artan stunned
The USA will stage 78 of the 104 matches of the expanded 48-team World Cup but the travel restrictions are biting more than expected.
The refusal of Somalian referee Omar Artan into the USA by immigration authorities at Miami International Airport in Florida has struck the world to the core.
Somalia is among the 20 countries under a total travel ban by the President Donald Trump II’s government but Artan, who was voted as 2025 Confederation of African Football (Caf) men’s referee of the year, had a valid U.S visa.
‘Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr. Artan’s status will not be changed at present,’ Fifa said in a statement.
‘In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.’
Fans aggrieved
That’s only a piece of the several barricades the global football audience is facing with getting access into the USA.
‘Every few hours, it’s another story. Another story about fans being denied, players denied, officials denied, journalists denied, now refs?’ retired Arsenal FC and England striker Ian Wright said in a video via social media platform TikTok.
Fans from Africa seeking to support their countries at the World Cup have faced a mountain to climb. Ivory Coast, Senegalese and Moroccan fans have topped the list for visa rejections to the World Cup.
Both West African countries are facing partial bans, with restrictions to getting the B-visa type through which, B-1 covers business (meetings, conferences) and B-2 for tourism (vacations and medical treatment).
At the height of the matter, the world was reminded that Morocco under Sultan Mohammed III was the first nation in the world to officially recognize the newly independent USA in 1777.
Meanwhile, the ongoing diplomatic row with Iran and the USA is not over yet. As missiles fly across the Middle East, 26 Iranian squad players were issued late U.S visas ahead of their Group G business in California but a dozen support staff were denied.
Journalist woes
In the broader scale of things, accredited Iranian journalists and colleagues from some African countries have been denied visas too.
International Sports Press Association (AIPS) president Gianni Merlo expressed these concerns about U.S’ tight immigration laws to FIFA’s director of media relations Bryan Swanson and Fifa’s head of media operations Jochen Steinhoff.
‘Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction,’ Merlo’s letter said.
A foreign media representative non-immigrant U.S visa type I has most, including Uganda’s Clive Kyazze, with single entry into the USA.
However, it has journalists at a disadvantage for example Ivory Coast who face Germany in Toronto, Canada yet matches against Ecuador on June 14 and Curacao on June 25 are scheduled for the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, USA.
Senegal too will face France and Norway at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey yet their last Group I match against Iraq will be in Toronto and they may need to return to the USA for the knockout stage.
Tunisia’s first two matches will be in Mexico but they wrap up Group F against the Netherlands in Kansas City, Missouri.
Meanwhile, Kyazze and a bunch of other accredited journalists from DRC and Uganda face a 21-day barrier out of their home countries and temporary visa restrictions to the USA, in the wake of the Ebola virus outbreak.
Those who have made it through to the USA, such as Senegal and Iraq teams, have been subjected to heavy security scrutiny, leaving the world stunned again.
But the hiked prices for match tickets as well as high transport costs for trains and cabs await fans too. ‘It’s actually not funny, something has to be said. Most expensive (World Cup match) tickets ever, expensive accommodation, transport through the roof,’ television football pundit Wright reacted.
Is this how the hosts behave, really for the greatest tournament in the world? Is this the spirit of football?’ he added. America is sneezing and the World Cup is catching a rare cold.
CHALLENGES TO THE WORLD CUP
High Costs: Tickets to group-stage matches are pricey, those for opening matches easily cost upwards of $600 to $2,000 each.
Accommodation and Logistics: Fans in different host cities face inflated accommodation rates for a 40-day tournament.
Immigration Policies: Strict border screenings and present visa barriers are keeping fans, media and officials out
Massive Distances: The tournament will be played across three vast North American countries, evoking costly cross-country flights or long drives between stadiums.