By Anadolu Agency
June 23, 2026 3:24 pmStrict visa policies by World Cup host nations are raising questions about the tournament’s inclusiveness, as entry restrictions affect not only fans and journalists but also officials and support staff directly involved in the competition.
While the 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, Washington and Ottawa’s visa policy have emerged as the most contentious issue surrounding the tournament.
The denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, one of Africa’s top match officials who was set to officiate at the World Cup, became a prominent example cited by critics who argue that US visa restrictions disproportionately affect people from certain nationalities and backgrounds, undermining the tournament’s claims of inclusivity.
In addition to 34-year-old Artan, other individuals, including Palestinian Football Federation President Jibril al-Rajoub, Iraqi national team photographer Talal Salah, and several members of the Iranian national team’s technical staff, were also affected by the US visa policy.
Iranian footballer Mehdi Torabi encountered a visa-related setback after leaving the US during the early stages of the tournament, as he had been issued only a single-entry visa.
However, after urgent consultations with the US State Department, the matter was resolved, and he was cleared to re-enter the country and rejoin his team.
Also, two official media officers for the Iranian national football team have reportedly had their visa applications denied, preventing them from carrying out their duties with the squad during the tournament.
Haiti international Woodensky Pierre was forced to miss his team’s pre-tournament warm-up matches after delays in the approval of his US visa. The visa was granted only shortly before the competition, preventing him from joining the squad on time and delaying his arrival at the tournament.
Canada, meanwhile, denied entry to Ghanaian footballer Thomas Partey due to the ongoing criminal proceedings he faces in England over allegations of sexual assault.
A Canadian federal court rejected his visa application because of the ongoing sexual assault case he is facing in England.
As a result, Partey was unable to travel to Canada and missed Ghana’s opening Group L match against Panama in Toronto.
Said Shehata, a professor of International Relations and Political Science, told Anadolu that such incidents undermine the spirit of a tournament that aims to bring together people from around the world.
“Some seats are empty mainly because of ticket prices but visas are also another factor for those empty seats,” he said.
Shehata stressed that when politics interferes in sport, it ultimately harms it.
“It will have a stain in the history of this tournament, but in general, it will not have a big impact on the World Cup atmosphere,” he said.
Shehata underlined that sports and politics should ideally be kept separate, but noted that in practice the situation is more complicated.
Giving the example of Russia, he said that banning the country from sporting events is a clear illustration of how politics affects sports.
“Visas and entry are up to the hosting nations, but the hosting nations should not abuse their power to unfairly exclude fans, players, and referees from joining tournaments,” he said.
Shehata went on to say that FIFA should work in coordination with host countries, but that ultimately the final authority over entry and related decisions rests with the host nations.
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