US visa and travel issues mar early days of 2026 World Cup

Uruguay landed in Miami late Sunday after a charter flight from Cancun was grounded over a documentation error, less than 24 hours before their opener against Saudi Arabia.espn
Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 on Amad Diallo’s 90th-minute goal, but most home-based fans were blocked by a U.S. travel ban on their country.apnews
A Somali referee was denied entry over what officials called “vetting concerns,” while early reports show empty seats and lower-than-expected turnout across host cities.cfr

World Cup Visa Chaos Hits Uruguay, Ivory Coast Fans, and Somali Referee

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is barely underway, and U.S. immigration policies have already cast a shadow over the tournament. In a span of days, Uruguay’s national team was stranded in Mexico over a documentation error, Ivory Coast fans were locked out of their team’s opening win, and a Somali referee was barred from the country entirely — though he will still be paid in full by FIFA.

Uruguay’s Last-Minute Travel Scramble

Uruguay’s squad faced an anxious Sunday when their charter flight from Cancun to Miami was grounded due to missing paperwork required under U.S. regulations. The Uruguayan Football Association said the delay was “due to problems beyond the control of the AUF” and that players were resting at their hotel while FIFA arranged a new departure.espn

FIFA attributed the issue to “an airline permitting error in Mexico,” adding that the airline had apologized. Uruguay eventually landed in South Florida less than 24 hours before their Group H opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday night. Coach Marcelo Bielsa said the disruption would “cause no problem” for his side.yahoo

Ivory Coast’s Hollow Victory

Amad Diallo’s 90th-minute winner gave Ivory Coast a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday — the Elephants’ first World Cup match in 12 years. But the celebration was bittersweet: most of the team’s home-based supporters were unable to attend.apnews

Ivory Coast is among at least four competing nations subject to a full U.S. travel ban. Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters, said fans had “cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including the Ivory Coast, on its soil”. An initial plan to send 500 supporters from Ivory Coast was scrapped; only an estimated 1,000 Ivorian fans already resident in the United States were expected to attend.punchng

Somali Referee Paid Despite Denial of Entry

Omar Abdulkadir Artan, named Africa’s best male referee in 2025, was denied entry at Miami International Airport on June 6 over what U.S. Customs and Border Protection called “vetting concerns”. A U.S. official later said the denial stemmed from “associations with suspected members of terror organizations”.yahoo

FIFA confirmed Artan would play no part in the tournament but sources told ESPN he will receive his full match-assignment fee. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup task force, said on Sunday that the administration stood by the decision. FIFA said it had no role in immigration matters.straitstimes

The cases underscore a central tension of the first World Cup held largely on U.S. soil since 1994: the collision between a global sporting event and a restrictive immigration regime that the Council on Foreign Relations noted is already contributing to empty seats and dampened economic returns across host cities.cfr