Even before the whistle blows, the 2026 men’s football World Cup – taking place from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Canada and Mexico – already has winners and losers away from the field. Specifically, at the border, at passport control, in consular offices and in US airports. Here, amidst denied visas, prolonged checks and contested entries, a parallel competition is emerging where human rights are at stake.
This World Cup was meant to be the global celebration of football in North America. For the first time in history, the tournament is being held in three different countries that were supposed to unite an entire continent, with the ambition of turning the World Cup into an even more inclusive event.
But restrictions imposed by Donald Trump’s administration are shattering this dream. Players, managers and referees are coming up against some harsh realities even before they take the field. Cases involving teams from Iran, Iraq and Somalia – countries facing a US travel ban since June 2025, as well as Senegal and Uzbekistan – are fuelling controversy and leading to questions about FIFA’s ability to hold a tournament without discrimination and with equal access conditions for all participants.
Human rights organisations have already expressed concern about the impact of migration policies and strengthened controls in host countries, warning that the tournament also risks becoming a test case (which so far does not seem to be going well) when it comes to upholding fundamental freedoms.
Iran’s World Cup Journey
The most emblematic case concerns Iran. Given that the World Cup is taking place under the weight of considerable geopolitical tensions between Washington and Tehran after months of conflict, the national team is experiencing the event under exceptional circumstances of limited movement and scrutiny.
While the national team, which qualified for the final stage, obtained the necessary visas for its players, the conditions were particularly restrictive. According to the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, members of the team will be allowed to enter the US only on the day of the matches, with the obligation to leave the country immediately after the final whistle.
This condition for participation forced the Iranian federation to relocate its training camp to Tijuana, Mexico, instead of the initially planned venue in Tucson, Arizona. The national team will then only be able to cross the border to play the group matches, returning immediately to Mexican territory when the games are over.
The situation is made even more complex – bordering on the absurd – by the fact that not all members of the delegation have been granted entry clearance. Fifteen federal officials and staff members appear to be still waiting for visas, while others have reportedly already been denied.
All of this seems to have placed the Iranian national team in a kind of implicit “penalty” compared to the other teams.
Iraq: Between Interrogations and Rejections
If the problem for Iran begins even before entry into the US, for Iraq, the difficulties start after landing.