Tweet from the Iranian Embassy in Armenia:
🚫 What happened at the 2026 World Cup in the last 48 hours:
🚫 The visa of Swiss footballer Breel Embolo was sent for additional verification, and he was able to join his team only a few days later.
🚫 Iraqi team player Ayman Hussein was detained for almost 7 hours for questioning after arriving in the USA.
🚫 The Iranian team spent several days obtaining visas at the US consulate in Turkey. The American side only allowed entry on match days. Fifteen members of the delegation did not receive visas.
🚫 Omar Abdulkadir Artan, named the best referee in Africa in 2025 by the African Football Confederation, did not receive a visa. Despite having a diplomatic passport, he was denied entry and sent back. FIFA announced that he would not be able to officiate at the tournament matches.
🚫 The South African team arrived in the USA much later than scheduled, as part of the delegation did not receive visas.
🚫 Members of the Senegalese team were forced to remove their shoes and underwent lengthy searches, which led to accusations of racial discrimination.
🚫 The Uzbekistan team was searched using service dogs, and the footage quickly spread in international media.
🚫 Some Scottish fans, despite having the right to visa-free entry under the ESTA program, had their travel authorizations cancelled a few days before their departure.
🚫 Many fans who had already purchased tickets and booked accommodation were denied visas, resulting in financial losses.
🚫 FIFA lost even before the start of the tournament.