World Cup chaos: Ex-England star hits out at US over visa mess
Former England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright has totally blasted the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, officially crowning it the ‘World Cup of Chaos’. With the world’s biggest soccer party just days away in North America, the pre-tournament atmosphere has been completely derailed by wild border dramas, security mix-ups and fan-furious ticket prices in the United States.
The absolute boiling point for the beloved scholar came later top African referee Omar Artano was denied entry to Miami International Airport and shipped directly back to Istanbul. A frustrated Wright took to his TikTok channel to urge football chiefs to intervene as a steady stream of fans, players, journalists and now historic referees found themselves outside the host nation.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
Well, uncle Ian Wright for speaking up, and he is 100% right.
See how Qatar got pulled over when they hosted the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/9yLFw2QsZX— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) June 9, 2026
“I just read that the Somali referee was denied entry. Every few hours it’s another story, another story of denied fans, denied players, denied officials, denied journalists, now referees,” Wright said in an emotional video on social media.
“You know, I’m laughing, but it’s not funny, it’s actually not funny and something needs to be said. Expensive tickets, the most expensive tickets ever, expensive accommodation, transport through the roof. Is this really how the hosts behave in the best game, the biggest tournament in the world? This is a World Cup of chaos,” he added.
FIFA has washed its hands of the border madness and released a statement making it clear it is not shouting at the immigration counter.
“FIFA is not involved in the host country’s immigration processes, including visa decisions. Consistent with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted to their country.”
The tournament’s extremely strict security rules have caused friction around the worldespecially for teams dealing with real political tensions with the US. While star Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was stuck in an airport room for a grueling seven-hour interrogation before being allowed in, Iran’s team staff were completely denied visas, leaving their players with travel permits that only allowed them to enter the country on the literal day of their matches!
As well as airport nightmares, fans are furious over a major ticketing scandal that has seen European supporters’ groups complain directly to the European Commission. Between eye-popping “dynamic” ticket prices hitting $8,680, surprising rows of extra seats blocking premium views and a neat 15% cut in the unregulated resale market, football fans everywhere are feeling the squeeze before a single ball has been kicked.
WHY DID USA SEND AFRICA’S BEST REFEREE BACK?
Somali referee Omar Artan was set to make history as the first man from his nation to referee a World Cup match after a stellar run that saw him named the 2025 CAF Male Referee of the Year. Instead, U.S. Customs and Border Protection turned him away at the gate due to “screening concerns,” which completely stunned the soccer world because he was traveling on a diplomatic passport.
The drama boils down to a strict travel ban imposed by the US government on Somali nationals. Despite the Somali embassy’s best efforts to assist with his paperwork, border control did not budge, forcing FIFA to drop Africa’s best referee entirely from their official 52-man tournament roster.
WHICH TEAMS ARE FACING AIRPORT DRAMA?
The host nation’s tight security gauntlet severely disrupted the day’s preparation for the West Asian qualifiers and turned routine travel into a complete headache. The main problems include:
- Iraq: Talisman striker Aymen Hussein was detained and interrogated for seven hours while the team’s official photographer was denied entry.
- Iran: Iran’s football federation accused the US of violating host rules after 15 key administrative and coaching staff were denied visas, forcing the team to arrive on match day without its full squad.
With kick-off scheduled for this Thursday, June 11, the non-stop drama off the pitch has completely thrown off the pre-tournament hype, leaving excited fans stuck talking about visa refusals and border queues instead of beautiful football.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
09 Jun 2026 21:16 IST