Overview
- The Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry and flown home after what he said was an extended interrogation on Monday, and FIFA confirmed he will not take part in the 2026 World Cup.
- Iraqi forward Aymen Hussein was held for about seven hours at Chicago O’Hare this week, had his phone inspected and was later admitted and rejoined his team.
- Iraqi photographer Talal Salah was declared inadmissible at the same arrival and remains barred from entering the United States.
- The Iranian federation says its discounted 8% ticket allocation has been revoked and the team is operating from Tijuana, while several delegations including Senegal and Uzbekistan have reported invasive airport and stadium searches.
- FIFA has stressed it cannot override host‑country immigration decisions as U.S. security measures and the Trump administration travel‑ban policies strain logistics, fan access and media coverage and raise broader diplomatic concerns.