When Countries Block the World Cup's Officials

FIFA selected Egyptian referee Omar Artan for the 2026 World Cup, but the US denied him a visa. The problem: FIFA can choose officials worldwide, but host nations have final say on who enters. This exposes a persistent gap. While FIFA negotiates hosting deals that include visa access for officials, no legal mechanism forces countries to honor those promises. It's happened before—Qatar raised concerns over worker and LGBTQ+ issues. FIFA's universalist goals keep colliding with sovereign control.