Ghana’s Partey denied entry to Canada for World Cup opener

Trump’s Border Crackdown Creates Friction at World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off on June 11 in Mexico City, is already entangled in the politics of U.S. immigration enforcement. From a Somali referee barred at Miami International Airport to fans from multiple African nations locked out entirely, the Trump administration’s travel restrictions are reshaping who can participate in — and watch — the world’s largest sporting event.

Players and Officials Turned Away

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey became the latest high-profile case on June 12, when FIFA confirmed that Canada had denied his visa application, preventing him from traveling from Ghana’s training base in Boston to Toronto for the team’s opening match against Panama on June 17. The denial stems from criminal charges Partey faces in the United Kingdom — seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault — to which he has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial in November. Under Canadian law, individuals who have been charged with certain offenses may be denied entry. Partey is expected to rejoin the squad for Ghana’s June 23 match against England in Foxborough, Massachusetts.bbc

Days earlier, Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry at Miami International Airport after arriving from Istanbul on June 7. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was “determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns,” without elaborating. Artan would have been the first Somali official to referee at a World Cup. FIFA subsequently removed him from the tournament’s officiating roster. He received a hero’s welcome upon returning to Mogadishu.reuters

Fan Bans Cast a Shadow

The broader issue extends well beyond individual cases. Travel bans issued by the Trump administration in June 2025 and expanded in December 2025 suspend entry for nationals of dozens of countries, citing security screening deficiencies. While the proclamations carve out exceptions for athletes, coaches, and immediate family members, no such exemption exists for fans, journalists, or corporate guests.forumtogether

Supporters from Iran, Haiti, Senegal, and Ivory Coast — all World Cup qualifying nations — are effectively barred from traveling to matches in the United States. A BBC analysis found that visa rejection rates for citizens of 11 of the 48 qualifying nations exceeded 40 percent. Iraqi fans have also been unable to obtain visas, as there are no operational U.S. consular facilities in Iraq where they can attend required in-person interviews.espn

Assurances and Criticism

The Department of Homeland Security has sought to ease concerns about enforcement inside stadiums, with Secretary Markwayne Mullin stating publicly that ICE agents would not conduct raids at World Cup venues. But critics argue the damage is already done. NPR reported that at least one additional official beyond Artan had faced entry difficulties, and a Wired investigation documented a traveler held for roughly 10 hours at a Chicago airport checkpoint before being denied entry.nytimes

FIFA has maintained it “is not involved in host country immigration procedures” and cannot override visa decisions. The tension highlights a central contradiction: the United States successfully bid to co-host the tournament under FIFA rules requiring open access, yet its current immigration framework restricts entry for millions of potential attendees.reuters