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Tuesday, 9 June 2026

FIFA ACCEPTS US DECISION TO BLOCK SOMALI WORLD CUP REFEREE

June 9 – The United States, co-host of the 2026 World Cup, has denied top African referee Omar Artan entry to the country, preventing the Somali from officiating matches at the tournament.

Artan was set to become Somalia’s first referee at a World Cup but American authorities at Miami International Airport barred him from entering the US.

In statement, world football’s governing body FIFA said: “Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.

“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

In a statement to Reuters, Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football men’s referee of the year, said: “I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”

He was one of 52 referees selected by FIFA to lead matches at the 48-team World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Artan reportedly had a valid visa for the United States, but flew to Istanbul after being denied entry.

Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the US has cracked down on immigration from Somalia, and its citizens are subject to a full travel ban. Last year, Trump lashed out at Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage”.

In a statement, a CBP spokesperson said: “On June 6, a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul International Airport. During processing, the travellerunderwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.

“Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.

“All travellers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to CBP inspection and vetting. Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection. CBP officers have the authority to question travellers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law.”

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has repeatedly said this World Cup will be the ‘most inclusive’ yet. In 2017, a year before FIFA awarded the World Cup to the United States, Mexico and Canada, Infantino said: “It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup.”

- Samindra Kunti

Monday, 8 June 2026

TEHRAN LAMBASTS US 'OBSTRUCTION' OF IRAN'S WORLD CUP TEAM AS PLAYERS LAND IN MEXICO

Members of the Iran soccer team arrive in Tijuana

TEHRAN — Iran’s soccer team touched down in Mexico’s northwestern city of Tijuana on Sunday as Tehran criticized Washington over its visa restrictions ahead of the World Cup this summer.

The Iranian federation negotiated at the last minute to move the team's base camp from Arizona to Tijuana near the US border in Mexico, due in part to uncertainty over whether they would be granted visas to enter the United States.

The US awarded visas to all the players on June 5, just 10 days before their first match, but several members of the support squad were not yet given visas, including "key managerial and administrative members," according to Iran's football federation.

The president of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, said Sunday that the Iranian soccer team had been granted permission to enter the US for the tournament, but “only one day before the match,” according to semi-official Iranian media, sparking accusations of unfair treatment.

“We do not know how far the Americans’ obstructionism will continue,” Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) cited Taj as saying. “What the United States is doing reflects malice and a lack of equality among teams.”

A US administration official told CNN that the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including those for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued. The two nations remain at war with no sign of an immediate breakthrough in peace negotiations.

“We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses,” the official said.

Soccer is more than just Iran’s most popular sport. Public support for the national team cuts through social, regional and political lines, making it a uniting force for millions of Iranians.

As a result, qualifying for the World Cup has long been a source of national pride. But the US and Israel’s war with Iran, alongside recent economic and political turmoil at home, has turned the soccer pitch into a stage for soft power, drawing attention away from the game itself.

Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26, according to FIFA, the governing body that organizes the World Cup. Those matches are expected to be shown in cinemas across Iran, subject to the “necessary approvals,” Iranian state media organization IRIB said Sunday.

This is the first World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1930 in which a host nation is set to receive a country with which it is actively at war, according to Reuters.

On Sunday, the team touched down in Tijuana, Mexico – just across the border from San Diego, California – several Iranian outlets reported. Last month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Iranian squad would stay in Mexico between the matches.

A spokesperson for the Iranian football federation said this weekend that the team would travel to the US using a multiple-entry visa, entering one day before the first match and two days before each of the next two matches, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

Taj called it “truly strange” that Washington was interfering in the administration of the sporting event, adding that the Iranian football federation would submit a protest to FIFA. CNN has reached out to the governing body for comment.

The federation president also speculated that the US might try to interfere with the team’s entry to the country while appearing to link Washington’s decision-making to the ongoing war.

“We do not know what kind of mischief they might create at the airport. They were defeated in some areas by the resistance of the people, and they are now trying to make up for those defeats and vent their frustrations on the football field,” ISNA cited Taj as saying.

- Saudi Gazette

Wednesday, 27 May 2026

US 🇺🇸 | FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 SQUAD

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

IRAN MOVES WORLD CUP BASE TO MEXICO AND WANTS GUARANTEES ON VISAS AND SECURITY

National team will fly to the US on day of games after Washington refuses to host squad

Iran's players training in Antalya, Turkey, as they prepare for the World Cup. AFP

Iran's national team will base themselves in Mexico and travel to the US on the days of its three World Cup ⁠matches after Washington declined to host the squad, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.

Sheinbaum said Fifa approached her government after US authorities said they did not ⁠want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran are scheduled to play three Group G matches there.

"We have no reason to deny ⁠them the possibility of staying in Mexico," Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.

Iran are currently preparing for the tournament in Antalya, southern Turkey.

They are set to face New ‌Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. US President Donald Trump said in March that Iran were welcome to participate in the World Cup but that he did not believe it was appropriate for them to be in the United States "for their own life and safety".

Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, said on Saturday the team's base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. Fifa confirmed the move on Monday. Taj added that the swap would help avoid visa-related complications and allow direct Iran Air flights to Mexico.

Iran's World Cup plans have been under scrutiny ‌since late February, when the United ⁠States joined Israel in attacks on Iran, triggering a war that raised doubts over whether Tehran would send its team ‌to play in one of the host countries.

Members of the Iranian national football team camp arrive at the US Embassy in Ankara for their visa application on May 21. AFP

In March, Taj said Iran were in ⁠talks with Fifa about moving its group matches to Mexico on safety ⁠grounds, and Sheinbaum said Mexico would be open to hosting them. Fifa refused the request.

The uncertainty fueled wider speculation about Iran's place at the tournament. Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup by topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.

Visas and enhanced security

According to various reports at the start of May, Iran had asked Fifa for several guarantees. The demands came after Taj was denied entry to Canada for last month's Fifa Congress.

Chief among them was that their players, coaches and other officials will receive visas to attend the tournament.

That included visas for those on the team who have completed military service with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada and the US.

“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Taj, a former commander of Iran's IRGC, told Iranian media.

According to a report from the BBC, the Iranian Football Federation also wants assurances that its team will receive enhanced security during the tournament and that respect for the Iranian flag and national anthem will be maintained.

Iranian officials have also reportedly asked for journalists to avoid questions beyond "technical football matters".

- The National

Tuesday, 17 March 2026

2026 WORLD CUP: IRAN ASKS FIFA TO MOVE GAMES FROM US TO MEXICO

Iran are scheduled to play their 2026 World Cup group games in LA and Seattle

Iran has asked Fifa to move its 2026 World Cup games from the US to Mexico as the wrangling over the war-torn country’s participation continues.

The Iranian embassy in Mexico posted a statement on social media saying that talks were ongoing over the possible solution after President Trump suggested that it may not be safe for Iran to travel to the US for this summer’s tournament.

Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was quoted as saying: “When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America.

“We are currently negotiating with Fifa to hold Iran’s matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”

Iran are currently scheduled to play their first two group games against New Zealand and Belgium in LA, with their third against Egypt in Seattle.

Three Mexican cities – Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey – are set to stage fixtures at the World Cup, which is also being co-hosted

But matches have already been allocated to those cities and the teams involved, who include Japan, South Korea, Tunisia and Japan, have already made their tournament plans accordingly.

Iran put World Cup ball back in Fifa’s court

Moving games would therefore represent a major logistical headache for Fifa and could anger local authorities in LA and Seattle who have already budgeted for their schedule.

On top of that, the bulk of knockout stage games will be in the US, meaning it would be impossible to avoid Iran playing in the States if they progressed.

The suggestion does, however, put the ball back in Fifa’s court with less than 100 days to go until the biggest ever World Cup kicks off on 11 June.

Iran has refused to formally withdraw despite officials saying they would be unable to travel to the US amid the ongoing military operations led by the Trump administration and Israel.

After Fifa chief Gianni Infantino relayed apparent assurances from Trump that Iran would be welcome at the World Cup, the US President undid that work by saying: “The Iranian national team is welcome at the World Cup, but I really don’t think their presence is appropriate, for their own lives and safety.”

The Iranian men’s national team hit back in a post on social media, saying: “No one can exclude the Iranian national team from the World Cup; the only country that could be excluded is the one that merely holds the title of ‘host country’ without being able to ensure the safety of the teams participating in this global event.”

- Frank Dalleres

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

LALIGA PULLS OUT OF MIAMI FIXTURE CITING 'UNCERTAINTY' IN SPAIN

October 21 – Spain’s LaLiga has officially cancelled its proposed Villareal-Barcelona regular season match in Miami on December 20 after “conversations” with its US promoter Relevent Sports, and citing “uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks”.

Opposition to playing the game in Miami had met with widespread condemnation from football’s stakeholders globally and in the last few days from the Spanish player’s union and individual players who said the match would have damaged the competitive integrity of the league in favour of Barcelona as Villareal is a tough away game for any team in the league.

In a remarkable attack on the governing bodies of countries outside Spain, LaLiga said: “The project fully complied with all federative regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions responsible for ensuring compliance, which opposed it for other reasons.”

The statement is at best a mis-leading half truth, in that the game was never fully sanctioned. While the Spanish FA (RFEF) meekly gave its sanction and UEFA ‘reluctantly’ did the same, neither the US Soccer Federation (USSF)or Concacaf, the two most important governing bodies covering the game in the US, where LaLiga and Relevent needed local permission to play, had not given their go-ahead.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas had said to the world’s media at a conference 10 days ago that getting the sanctions was purely an administrative process.

His comment was immediately met with a terse statement from Concacaf saying that the application had to go through due process and that it was conducting a review that involved consulting all of its stakeholders, as well as those in other regions. That process would be completed before any decision would be made, said Concacaf.

While the USSF had remained silent on sanctioning, Concacaf had neither declined or approved the application but had remained focussed on football’s eco-system both in its own region and member nation, where focus is on growing domestic leagues, their clubs and regional club competition. Thought was also being given to the impact and future consequences for stakeholders outside the Concacaf region.

UEFA’s decision to sanction the match was made on the basis that FIFA’s rules lacked legal clarity and hence felt pressured into sanctioning a game they didn’t want to. FIFA is currently undergoing a legal review of its statutes in this respect.

In its statement LaLiga also pointed the finger at the Premier League and UEFA and its Champions League (for which UEFA currently has Relevent as its new sales partner), saying that they “continue to expand their reach and ability to generate revenue, initiatives like this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish soccer.”

The difference is that neither the Premier League or UEFA are trying to play games in the US backyard for commercial gain. LaLiga is essentially admitting that it has been unable to compete on an equal footing commercially with its own product in the broadcast media market.

“Holding an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global growth of the competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players, and the visibility of Spanish soccer in a strategic market such as the United States…” said LaLiga.

“Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem.”

LaLiga had put tickets on pre-sale for the December fixture. No figures have been released on how many tickets have been sold, but the assumption is that it is not enough to continue to battle through the discontent of football’s North American and global opinion.

Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem.

In a separate statement, Relevent said it had informed La Liga of the need “to postpone” the match, arguing that the uncertainty in Spain had left “insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale”.

For Relevent it is perhaps a fortunate end to what was increasingly looking like an uncomfortable problem, and a potentially growing conflict of interest, taking into account their new Champions League contract with UEFA

- Paul Nicholson

Sunday, 19 January 2025

"I'M GOING THROUGH A LOT" - COCO GAUFF DEVASTATED AS TIKTOK'S US BAN IMPACTS HER EVEN AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Coco Gauff devastated as TikTok's US ban affects her at Australian Open. (Image Source: Getty)

Coco Gauff has reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open with an impressive comeback win over Belinda Bencic. However, the American's immediate post-match thoughts were consumed by TikTok being banned in the US.

Gauff and Bencic's highly anticipated fourth-round clash at the Australian Open began on a riveting note, with the Swiss clinching the opening set 7-5. However, the World No. 3 battled back strongly to claim a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory after a two-hour and 26-minute contest, advancing to the quarterfinals in Melbourne for the second year in a row.

With the TikTok ban going into effect in the USA, Coco Gauff used her camera message to pay tribute to the social media platform, drawing a broken heart and writing:

"RIP TikTok USA."

The former US Open champion later shared the message on Instagram, admitting that she was going through an emotional upheaval due to the ban.

"I'm going through a lot rn 😞," Gauff posted on her Instagram story.

Gauff also expressed devastation over her access to TikTok being blocked even in Australia, mournfully reflecting on how long she had been using the social media platform.

"Idk why I thought since I am in Australia this wouldn't apply to me. 😢 been on this app since musically smh," she wrote.

Coco Gauff's feelings come as no surprise, as the 20-year-old recently expressed her hope that the ban wouldn't go through. She pointed out that TikTok was a "great thing for a lot of small businesses in our country and a lot of creators make money on it."

Coco Gauff to lock horns with Paula Badosa in Australian Open QF

Coco Gauff and Paula Badosa - Source: Getty

Following her win over Belinda Bencic, Coco Gauff will battle it out against Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open. The Spaniard triumphed over Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6(2) to book her place against the third seed.

The duo stand level at 3-3 in their head-to-head record, with Gauff claiming a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in their most recent encounter in the semifinals of the 2024 China Open.

Speaking in her on-court interview, the American acknowledged Badosa as a formidable opponent and disclosed that she was expecting a tough battle for a place in the semifinals.

"Every time I play Paula, it's a tough matchup. She's playing some great tennis. Last time we played, I think it went three sets, I'm not sure. But we played end of last year, so I expect this to be another tough match," Gauff said.

If Coco Gauff emerges victorious against Paula Badosa, she could set up a rematch of last year's Australian Open semifinal with top seed and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, provided the Belarusian defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinals.

- Urvi Mehra

Thursday, 30 May 2024

T20 WORLD CUP A BOOST TO SPORT'S AMERICAN DREAM

Reuters

Cricket begins a campaign for the hearts and wallets of American fans this week, as the T20 World Cup kicks off on Saturday in Dallas, bringing the best of the sport to less familiar territory.

The United States play Canada in the first match of the tournament co-hosted by the West Indies, while a temporary stadium in Nassau County, New York, hosts its first of eight fixtures on Monday. Lauderhill, Florida, will host four matches.

Cricket boasts billion fans around the globe but few adherents in the lucrative North American market, where fans are more accustomed to watching New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge picking up a bat than Rohit Sharma or Jos Buttler.

"This is the start of a journey," International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Geoff Allardice told Reuters. "The awareness that we're bringing in more elite cricket to the USA is something that's been a strategic priority for us."

Reuters

The journey started with Major League Cricket, which began play in the United States last year, and culminates with the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where cricket will be reintroduced to the Olympic programme for the first time since 1900.

"In the lead up to the Los Angeles Olympics, I think we'll be continuing to try and raise the profile of cricket, not just for the established cricket fans in the USA but for new fans," said Allardice.

The tournament, which counts Jamaican track hero Usain Bolt as an ambassador, is a dream come true for U.S. immigrants, who comprise much of the sport's U.S. fan base and are more used to watching the action on television than in their own backyard.

"I mean, (India have) got some of the biggest names in world sport as part of their team," said Allardice. "And to be able to get close to them and see them in action, I think it's an opportunity that's something that comes along (not) very often for cricket fans in the USA."

The ICC T20 World Cup runs from June 1-29.

- Amy Tennery

Saturday, 18 May 2024

WADA CRITICISES U.S. UNDERMINING ANTI-DOPING EFFORTS

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) continued to vigorously defend its handling of a drugs case involving 23 Chinese swimmers on Friday while taking direct aim at the United States for trying to undermine the global anti-doping effort.

Following a New York Times report last month detailing events that led to Chinese swimmers avoiding sanctions after testing positive for a banned substance weeks before the Tokyo Olympics, WADA has been fending off criticism and accusations of a cover-up.

But during an extraordinary virtual meeting of its Foundation Board on Friday, WADA blasted its most vocal critic, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the organisation's chief Travis Tygart as hypocrites.

Canadian Dick Pound, who established WADA in 1999, came to his organisation's defence, accusing Tygart of lies and distortions and suggesting USADA's claims were politically motivated.

"On behalf of WADA, I am deeply disappointed and disgusted by the deliberate, lies and distortions coming from USADA, including that WADA has swept doping cases in China under the rug," said Pound, a former IOC member.

"That accusation, bereft of any truth, has but a single purpose to deliberately damage the reputation of WADA.

"To claim that WADA has in some way inappropriately favoured China is completely false," Pound added.

"USADA is financed by the United States government, that government currently has a chilly relationship with China's government. Could there be a connection?"

WADA has stood firm against criticism, arguing that it followed rules and procedures laid out in the anti-doping code and had no evidence to challenge China's findings.

The swimmers avoided sanctions after an investigation by Chinese authorities ruled the positive tests were the result of being inadvertently exposed to the drug through contamination.

A report determined all the swimmers who tested positive were staying at the same hotel where traces of trimetazidine (TMZ), which is found in heart medication, were discovered in the kitchen.

INDEPENDENT REVIEW

WADA announced in April that it would launch an independent review of the matter led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier.

"Trust comes from truth and transparency, not obfuscation and childish bluster." said Tygart, responding to WADA's comments.

"Unfortunately, we all know that when you are afraid of the facts, the classic response is to attack the messenger, distract from the real issues, and make it personal."

Tygart said the meeting today demonstrated that the global anti-doping system needed immediate reform.

"The world has legitimate questions about how WADA could turn a blind eye to 23 positive tests on the eve of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and today WADA reinforced those concerns by admitting they purposefully tried to keep this information from going public — the very definition of sweeping it under the carpet," he said.

WADA President Witold Banka said that when it comes to anti-doping, U.S. athletes are some of the least tested in the world and that USADA has used the contamination explanation to clear Americans of positive tests.

"There have been a number of environmental contamination cases in the past, in fact, some of the most elaborate and surprising contamination scenarios have come out of the U.S.," Banka said.

"Just to paint a picture of some inconsistent rule implementation in the U.S. 90% of American athletes, those in the professional leagues and college sport do not compete under the world anti-doping code."

Wednesday, 28 February 2024

US MEN'S SOCCER TO PLAY BRAZIL ON JUNE 12 AT ORLANDO, FLORIDA

AP Photo

CHICAGO (AP) — The United States will play Brazil in an exhibition at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on June 12 ahead of the Copa América.

The game, announced Tuesday, follows a June 8 friendly against Colombia at Landover, Maryland. The matches are in a FIFA international fixture window, which means top Europe-based players will be available.

The Americans open the Copa América against Bolivia at Arlington, Texas, on June 23, play Panama four days later at Atlanta and close group play July 1 against Uruguay at Kansas City, Missouri.

Brazil plays Costa Rica or Honduras at Inglewood, California, on June 24, Paraguay at Las Vegas four days later and Colombia at Santa Clara, California, on July 2.