FIFA World Cup in USA is a mess before kick-off: Footballer detained, referee deported

Just three days before the start of football's greatest spectacle, the FIFA World Cup continues to run into bizarre controversies. What started as a simple ticketing and logistical fiasco has taken a darker turn, where footballers and staff have been detained at airports for several hours, and one official has not even been allowed to enter the United States.

The controversies are unending, with the latest one involving Africa's best football referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan. The Somali official was turned away by authorities at Miami International Airport and sent straight back on a flight to Istanbul, irking the entire football fraternity.

The decision to deport the referee stunned the football world, especially since reports suggest that Artan was travelling on a diplomatic passport. The Somali Embassy in Nairobi had stepped in to help him secure his visa after initial delays, but US border control ultimately refused to let him into the country.

The incident prompted the Somali Prime Minister to issue a public statement calling out the US administration.

"I am deeply disappointed by the news that Omar Artan, Africa's finest referee and one of the best in the world, may be unable to officiate at the FIFA World Cup due to visa-related circumstances," Hassan Ali Khaire said.

"Omar has earned his place through talent, hard work, professionalism, and integrity. Having officiated at the highest levels of African and international football, his credentials speak for themselves. He represents not only Somalia, but also the aspirations of millions of young Africans who believe excellence should be recognized on the world stage," he added.

This is not an isolated incident.

America's growing conflict in West Asia has led to multiple problems ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Just two days ago, on June 7, Iraq vice-captain and the country's top striker, Aymen Hussein, was detained and interrogated for seven hours.

Hussein is a talismanic figure who scored the goal that secured Iraq's qualification for the finals.

The striker was not alone in this ordeal. One more footballer from the team, along with the team photographer, was held at the airport for questioning.

While Hussein was eventually allowed into the country, the team's photographer was barred from entering the United States.

DONALD TRUMP'S OPEN THREAT TO IRAN FOOTBALLERS

The origin of the issue can be traced to a Donald Trump statement on March 12, months before the tournament. At the height of tensions between the United States and Iran, Trump openly questioned whether the Iran national team should be allowed to participate in the competition.

"The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I don't really believe it is appropriate that they be here, for their own life and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump wrote.

Despite the concerns raised by Iran, FIFA refused to entertain requests to move the team's matches outside the United States.

It does not take a genius to figure out that the visa drama struck the Iran football team as well. The players were awarded visas only 10 days before their first match in the tournament, essentially robbing them of crucial time to acclimatise and prepare.

However, several members of the Iranian contingent were not given visas, including "key managerial and administrative members", according to Iran's football federation, which accused the US of breaching its host obligations and violating FIFA regulations.

Iranian ambassador Ali Pasandideh said 15 of the 70 members of the delegation that arrived in Tijuana had not been given visas to enter the United States.

FIFA did not respond to requests for comment regarding the dispute.

TICKET SALES: FIFA'S EXTORTION POLICY

There is a running joke among football fans on social media that FIFA would charge you for the air you are breathing inside the stadium if they could.

And there is good reason for that.

While the United States grapples with visa controversies and immigration headaches, FIFA has found its own way to upset football fans across the world.

Football supporters in Europe launched a formal complaint with the European Commission in March over World Cup ticket prices. The supporters' groups alleged that FIFA had abused its position to impose excessive prices on fans.

The groups accused FIFA of a monumental betrayal when tickets went on general sale ranging from $140 (approximately Rs 13,000) for the cheapest group-stage games to $8,680 (approximately Rs 8.3 lakh) for the final.

But how exactly did FIFA manage to anger football fans, arguably one of the most powerful groups in world sport?

There are several stages to FIFA's ticketing controversy, which is essentially where this entire saga of criticism began.

This is the first football World Cup in recent memory where FIFA did not make public the ticketing process years ahead of the tournament.

Up until September 2025, FIFA had released very little information about how the ticketing process would work. For comparison, ahead of the 2018 World Cup, FIFA had revealed ticket prices and the booking process nearly two years in advance.

Once the tickets were released, fans woke up to a shock. The upcoming edition was priced significantly higher than the previous World Cup in Qatar.

Worse, FIFA employed a dynamic pricing policy, meaning ticket prices could continue to rise as demand increased and the tournament drew closer.

FIFA CASHES IN ON TICKET RESALES

Leading American newspapers reported that the ticket-buying process has been a monumental pain for ordinary fans. Many have faced hour-long digital queues, with several reporting glitches that booted them out of the process and sent them straight to the back of the line.

In a system that was expected to discourage ticket hoarders, FIFA failed.

The United States has a relatively unregulated ticket resale market, something FIFA appeared willing to embrace.

Instead of trying to deter the process, FIFA leaned in and created an official platform where people who had already purchased tickets could resell them for a higher price.

FIFA did not set any cap on resale prices. Why would they? The governing body only wanted a 15 per cent cut from tickets that were resold at a higher value through its platform.

This is perhaps a good time to remind everyone that FIFA is officially a not-for-profit organisation.

FANS CHEATED OUT OF BEST SEATS

Leave aside the ticket-sale fiasco, FIFA's most bizarre controversy surfaced when fans claimed they had been cheated after purchasing their preferred seats.

The issue arose when many supporters reported that despite buying seats closest to the field of play, they would not get an unrestricted view because FIFA had decided to add additional seating structures in front of them.

This was not limited to one or two matches. Fans alleged that the issue affected venues across the tournament's 104-match schedule.

FIFA has not publicly addressed these complaints.

FIFA WORLD CUP: TRAVEL PERMITS REJECTED

For many football fans, travelling to a FIFA World Cup is a dream. Several spend years saving money to attend even a single edition of the tournament and experience football's biggest spectacle in person.

Many Scottish football fans have been left heartbroken and financially stranded after the status of their visa approvals changed at the last minute, just days before the tournament.

Speaking to the BBC, some supporters said they had booked flights, hotels and internal travel after receiving approval, only to later discover that their travel permits had been rejected.

With flights and hotel bookings falling so close to the tournament, many are set to lose almost all of their money because their reservations can neither be cancelled nor rescheduled.

THE FIFA WORLD CUP OF CONTROVERSIES

Hosting a FIFA World Cup is supposed to be a celebration. It is meant to bring together players, officials and fans from every corner of the globe for a month-long festival of football. Instead, just days before kick-off, the 2026 World Cup finds itself buried under controversy.

From referees being deported and players being detained at airports, to visa disputes, ticketing complaints and fans being left out of pocket, the build-up has been dominated by stories that have very little to do with football itself.

None of these issues, in isolation, are big enough to derail the tournament. The World Cup will still begin on June 12. The stadiums are likely to be full. Millions will still tune in to watch.

But taken together, they paint an uncomfortable picture for FIFA and its hosts.

For an event that prides itself on being the biggest and most inclusive sporting spectacle on the planet, the road to kick-off has been anything but smooth.