FIFA President Says Organization Cannot Override U.S. Visa Decisions for World Cup
Gianni Infantino addressed visa denials and ticket-price investigations at a June 10 news conference in Mexico City. He said FIFA works behind the scenes but respects U.S. government authority.
unicornriot.ninjaU.S. government who is allowed into the country for the World Cup. " Infantino cited the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry at Miami International Airport after arriving from Istanbul.
S. " Infantino called the situation unfortunate but said FIFA does not control everything. The FIFA president pointed to one recent success: obtaining visas for the Iran national team despite ongoing tensions with the United States.
He noted that the team's training base was moved to Tijuana, Mexico, because of visa issues. Infantino said he does not regret selecting the United States as a co-host of the 2026 World Cup. " On separate investigations into ticket pricing, Infantino said FIFA is taking a relaxed approach.
Attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas have open cases. He said the organization consulted lawyers before selling tickets and noted that FIFA sold 800,000 tickets for games in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with complaints from three customers that were resolved before the investigations began.
