The FIFA World Cup kicked off earlier today with the first game played between Mexico and South Africa, with Mexico winning 2-0. The match was played at Mexico City Stadium, also known as Estadio Azteca, in Mexico City.
Tomorrow, the first match hosted by the United States will be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the United States will face Paraguay.
This World Cup is being hosted jointly by Mexico, the United States and Canada, making it the first edition of the tournament to be hosted by three countries. It is also the largest World Cup ever held, with 48 teams and 104 matches.
The opening of the World Cup, however, has been marred by visa and immigration issues affecting fans, officials and even tournament personnel.
Several Scottish fans have claimed that their US ESTA travel authorisations were revoked shortly before they were due to travel. ESTA is the electronic travel authorisation used by travellers from visa-waiver countries, including the United Kingdom, to enter the United States.
The controversy has fuelled anger among supporters who had already bought tickets, booked flights and arranged accommodation, only to find that their permission to travel had been withdrawn at the last minute.
The most high-profile case involved Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States after landing at Miami International Airport. Artan had been selected for the World Cup and was expected to become the first Somali referee to officiate at the tournament.
US authorities said he was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns. Somalia is among the countries affected by the Trump administration’s travel restrictions, which have created a political and logistical problem for a tournament partly hosted by the United States.
The decision to turn back a FIFA-appointed referee has added to criticism that the tournament is being shaped by US immigration policy rather than by football. FIFA has confirmed that entry decisions are the responsibility of the host country, but the incident has raised questions about how a World Cup can be properly hosted if selected officials cannot enter one of the host nations.
More visa issues have also been reported involving Iranian officials and staff, Iraqi personnel and other delegations. Iran’s players reportedly received the necessary visas, but several officials and support staff were refused entry, forcing the Iranian delegation to base itself outside the United States and operate under disrupted travel arrangements.
The problems have also affected supporters. High visa costs, strict entry rules, revocations of travel authorisations and delays in processing applications have made this World Cup more difficult to access than previous tournaments for fans from several countries.
The contrast with previous World Cups is stark. Qatar used the Hayya card system to simplify entry for ticket holders, while Brazil also used temporary visa arrangements during its tournament. The United States, instead, has applied its standard and increasingly restrictive immigration system to a global sporting event.
Mexico’s opening win gave the tournament the celebratory start expected by FIFA, with the Azteca once again serving as one of football’s historic stages.
Newsroom
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