World Cup Visa Block
Palestinian Football Chief Denied US Visa for World Cup Amid Broader Restrictions
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Key Points
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Jibril Rajoub arrived for and attended the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday while still waiting for permission to enter the United States.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously insisted that “Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the Fifa World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,” framing the tournament as open and inclusive despite the visa problems.
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The U.S. State Department provided no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa case.
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The reporting specifies that last year’s U.S. restrictions on Palestinian passport holders included limits on anyone “who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority,” and it says the visa for Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the UN General Assembly was revoked last September.
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Rajoub is described as a long-time football advocate who argues that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank to play in Israel’s national league—an issue that places him at the center of the broader political dispute around Palestinian participation and representation.
Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, is stranded in Mexico City — denied a U.S. visa to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup on American soil. He attended the tournament's opening match on June 11, watching Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 before a crowd of 80,824 at the Estadio Azteca, Associated Press reported. But crossing into the United States remains blocked.
Rajoub is not alone. A Somali referee was deported from Miami, Iraq's official team photographer was turned away, and Iraq's star striker spent seven hours detained at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The crisis exposes a sharp conflict between FIFA's promise of a global, open tournament and U.S. immigration law, Al Jazeera reported.
A Presidential Order Blocks Palestinian and Somali Officials
The legal backbone of the denials is Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026. It suspends or restricts entry for nationals of 19 countries — including Somalia, Iran, and Syria. It also targets anyone using travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, according to The Independent.
The policy has real consequences for the World Cup. Omar Abdulkadir Artan, Somalia's top referee and one of only 52 officials selected for the tournament, was denied entry at Miami International Airport on June 6 and deported to Istanbul, TIME reported. Somalia's sports ministry called the move a failure of "equal opportunity." Last September, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was also denied a visa to the UN General Assembly and had to address it by video.
FIFA Promised Open Doors But Cannot Override Washington
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had promised that "everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup." But when the denials mounted, he changed his tune. At a June 10 press conference in Mexico City, he told reporters to "chill and relax," saying FIFA is "not the kings of the world" and must respect national border laws, according to The Guardian.
FIFA accreditation does not guarantee entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it makes "admissibility determinations on a case-by-case basis" and that security vetting overrides any FIFA credential. The State Department gave no comment on Rajoub's specific case, Chicago Tribune reported.
Rajoub Calls the Denials Politically Motivated Abuse
Rajoub has not stayed quiet. He called the visa denial "politically motivated" and an "abuse of the right of footballers," according to Middle East Eye. He also has a long history of conflict with the Israeli Football Association, pushing FIFA to sanction Israel for allowing settlement teams from the occupied West Bank to play in Israel's national league — a violation of FIFA's own rules.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio drove a broader crackdown last August, revoking nearly 80 visas for Palestinian officials headed to the UN, citing "national security grounds," Al Jazeera reported. U.S. policy specifically targets anyone "employed by the Palestinian Authority," a category that includes Rajoub. He watched the World Cup opener from Mexico City with no clear path north.
World Cup Visa Crisis Casts Shadow Over Future U.S. Hosting Bids
The ripple effects go beyond individual cases. Iran's national team based its training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, after 15 staff members were denied visas. Players must commute into the U.S. only on match days, Reuters reported. That kind of logistical chaos is raising hard questions about whether the U.S. can credibly host global sports events.
FIFA officials have already started citing the 2026 crisis in talks about the 2035 Women's World Cup in the United Kingdom, questioning whether governments will ever let sports bodies dictate border policy, according to Sky News. For now, Rajoub waits in Mexico City — accredited, welcomed by FIFA, but blocked by Washington.
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