Just three days before the start of football’s biggest extravaganza, the FIFA World Cup, a round of strange controversies continues. What started as a simple ticketing and logistics failure has taken a darker turn, with footballers and staff detained at airports for several hours, and one official not even allowed to enter the United States.

The controversies are endless, 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, angering the entire football community.

The decision to deport the referee stunned the football world, especially since reports revealed that Artan was traveling on a diplomatic passport. After initial delays the Somali Embassy in Nairobi stepped in to help secure their visas, but US border control ultimately refused to let them into the country.

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

Hassan Ali Khaire said, “I am deeply disappointed by the news that Omar Arton, Africa’s finest referee and one of the world’s best referees, may be unable to officiate at the FIFA World Cup due to visa circumstances.”

He 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 the aspirations of millions of young Africans who believe excellence should be recognized on the world stage.”

This is not an isolated incident.

America’s growing confrontation in West Asia has created many problems ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Just two days earlier, on June 7, Iraq’s vice-captain and the country’s top striker, Ayman Hussain was detained and interrogated for seven hours.

Hussein is a charismatic individual who scored the goal that ensured Iraq’s qualification for the final.

The striker was not alone in this difficult situation. Another footballer from the team was stopped at the airport for questioning along with the team photographer.

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

Donald Trump’s open threat to Iranian footballers

The origins of the issue can be traced to a statement by Donald Trump on March 12, a few months before the tournament. Tension at its peak between the United States and Iran, Trump openly questions whether Iran’s national team should be allowed to participate In competition.

“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really do not believe that it is appropriate for them to stay here for the sake of their lives and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote.

Despite concerns raised by Iran, FIFA refused to consider the team’s request to move matches outside the United States.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the visa drama has affected the Iran football team too. The players were granted visas only 10 days before their first match in the tournament, essentially wasting their vital time for acclimatization and preparation.

However, several members of the Iranian contingent, including “key managerial and administrative members”, were not granted visas, according to Iran’s football federation, which accused the US of breaching its host obligations and violating FIFA rules.

Iranian Ambassador Ali Pasandideh said that 15 of the 70 members of the delegation that arrived in Tijuana have not been granted 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 joke going around among football fans on social media that if FIFA could do it then they would charge you for the air you breathe inside the stadium.

And there’s good reason for it.

While the United States grapples with visa disputes and immigration headaches, FIFA has found its own way to annoy football fans All over the world.

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

The groups accused FIFA of massive betrayal when normal sales of tickets for the cheapest group-stage game ranged from $140 (roughly Rs. 13,000) to $8,680 (roughly Rs. 8.3 lakh) for the final.

But how exactly has FIFA, one of the most powerful conglomerates in world sport, managed to offend football fans?

There have been many phases to the FIFA ticketing controversy, which is essentially where this whole saga of criticism began.

This is the first Football World Cup in recent memory where FIFA did not make the ticketing process public several years before the tournament.

As of September 2025, FIFA had released little information about how the ticketing process will work. For comparison, FIFA revealed ticket prices and booking process almost two years earlier, ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

As soon as the tickets were released, fans were in for a shock. The upcoming edition was priced significantly higher than the previous World Cup in Qatar.

Worse, FIFA adopted a dynamic pricing policy, meaning ticket prices could continue to rise as demand increases and the tournament gets closer.

FIFA earns a lot from resale of tickets

Major American newspapers reported that the process of purchasing tickets had been a major pain for ordinary fans. Many people have faced hours-long digital queues, with multiple reporting glitches resulting in them being shut out of the process and sent straight to the back of the line.

The system that was supposed to discourage ticket hoarders failed at FIFA.

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

Instead of trying to stop the process, FIFA intervened and created an official platform where people who had already purchased tickets could resell them at a higher price.

FIFA has not set any limits on resale prices. Why would they do this? The governing body only wanted a 15 percent cut from tickets that were resold at a higher price through its platform.

This is probably a good time to remind everyone that FIFA is officially a non-profit organization.

Fans missed out on the best seats

Ticket-selling glitches aside, FIFA’s strangest controversy came when fans claimed they were cheated after buying their favorite seats.

The issue arose when several supporters pointed out that despite purchasing seats closest to the playing field, they would not get an unrestricted view because FIFA had decided to add additional seating structures in front of them.

It was not limited to one or two matches. Fans alleged that the issue affected venues throughout the tournament’s 104-match schedule.

FIFA has not publicly addressed these complaints.

FIFA World Cup: Travel permit denied

For many soccer fans, traveling to the FIFA World Cup is a dream. Many spend years saving money to attend even one edition of the tournament and experience football’s greatest spectacle in person.

Many Scottish football fans have been left heartbroken and financially strapped after their visa approval status 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 getting approval, but later discovered that their travel permits had been rejected.

With flights and hotel bookings low so close to the tournament, many people are sure to lose almost all their money as their reservations can neither be canceled nor rescheduled.

controversies fifa world cup

Hosting the FIFA World Cup is considered a celebration. It aims to bring together players, officials and fans from every corner of the world for a month-long celebration of football. Instead, just days before kick-off, the 2026 World Cup finds itself mired in controversy.

From referees being deported and players being detained at airports, to visa disputes, ticketing complaints and fans being pickpocketed, there have been stories that have little to do with football.

None of these issues, individually, are big enough to derail the tournament. The World Cup will still start on June 12. The stadium is likely to be full. Millions of people will still tune in to watch.

But overall, they paint an uneasy picture for FIFA and its hosts.

For an event that prides itself on being the largest and most inclusive sporting spectacle on the planet, it’s been a very easy road to beginning.

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