The 2026 FIFA World Cup is supposed to be a celebration of football with 48 nations, three countries and one shared stage.
But before a single ball has been kicked, the tournament is already making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Several nations and officials have not been met with a warm welcome, but with searches, detention and in one case, a total entry denial.
Footage that went viral on social media showed members of Senegal’s national team being subjected to detailed security searches directly on the airport tarmac in San Antonio.
A humiliation and a disgrace that the Senegalese Football Federation has failed to speak out against. pic.twitter.com/ebFrut7XIi
— AlmarssadPro (@ProsMarocains) June 8, 2026
Players were pulled off the plane, forced to undergo aggressive bag searches, and subjected to invasive checks in full public view, right on the tarmac.
The reaction online was immediate and fierce. “The Senegalese delegation gets this treatment on arrival in the USA. Full tarmac searches, shoes off, bags turned inside out like criminals. This is straight up humiliation and a disgrace,” one fan on X wrote.
Another added, “There is no reason why teams should be humiliated like this.”
Uzbekistan’s players faced a similar experience. They were subjected to drug-sniffing dogs and metal detector checks on their arrival.
Two national teams, representing their countries on football’s biggest stage, treated in a manner that many observers described as deeply disrespectful.
Africa’s Best Denied, Humiliated
Fora da Copa do Mundo após ser barrado por imigração dos Estados Unidos, árbitro somali Omar Abdulkadir Artan se pronuncia:
“Apesar das circunstâncias, estou de bom humor e focado nos próximos desafios da carreira. Eu quero agradecer à família do futebol pelas mensagens e… pic.twitter.com/XUBx60ZkYg
— Planeta do Futebol 🌎 (@futebol_info) June 9, 2026
The story that hit hardest, was Somali official, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was named Best African Referee in 2025.
Artan was denied entry into the United States entirely, despite holding a diplomatic passport obtained from the Somali embassy.
FIFA confirmed he will no longer be able to officiate at the World Cup.
Artan himself broke his silence after the incident, his words carrying the quiet devastation of a man who had earned his place on the world’s biggest stage, only to be turned away at the door.
Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was also held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport after arriving with the national squad.
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Iran’s national team was reportedly informed they can only enter and leave the United States on the days of their matches.
Four World Cup nations fall under the Trump administration’s travel restrictions, Haiti and Iran face full entry bans, while Ivory Coast and Senegal face partial restrictions.
Many African fans who held valid visas chose to avoid the United States altogether, rather traveling to Canada or Mexico to watch games.
The hashtag #BoycottWorldCup2026 has been gaining traction online as anger grows over the treatment of players and officials from certain nations.  FIFA, for its part, has stayed quiet.
The World Cup kicks off in two days. On the pitch, the stories will be about goals, glory and heartbreak.
But off it, a different and far less comfortable conversation has already begun, one about dignity, respect and who this tournament is truly welcoming.
