President Donald Trump says the U.S. is working “very closely” to approve World Cup visas for “the right people,” as the tournament’s promise of global unity collides with reported visa denials affecting Iran’s team and a Somali referee. Critics argue the U.S.
When President Donald Trump was asked about visas for World Cup attendees, his answer landed like a warning: the U.S. is working “very closely” to make sure “the right people” get in.
The timing matters. The World Cup is arriving at American stadiums with a different kind of currency than politics—music in the stands. flags swaying in unison. and fans turning whole cities into color. FIFA President Gianni Infantino described it on Wednesday. June 10 as a chance for people to “enjoy a moment of happiness. ” leaving day-to-day problems behind.
But the visa decisions that have been highlighted around the tournament—along with the prices fans face—have already cast a long shadow over the idea that this U.S. host moment could bring people together.
Trump’s “right people” line meets border denials
When Trump addressed the issue on Wednesday, he framed the work as sorting who gets entry. “We’re working very closely to make sure the right people come into our country,” he said when asked about the rejections.
For critics, that framing cuts against what a World Cup host is supposed to do. The U.S. is expected to welcome teams, officials, journalists, and fans as part of a global event—especially for a tournament built on the joy of shared emotion, whether a team wins or loses.
That tension sharpens in reports about specific people and groups who faced barriers.
Iran’s World Cup presence disrupted
Infantino characterized Iran’s participation as a triumph that the team is even there. despite what the report describes as shameful treatment. The story lays out a sequence of setbacks: Iran had to move its base camp to Mexico at the eleventh hour. it isn’t allowed to stay in the United States despite all three of its group games being held in the country. and it lost its allotment of tickets for fans.
The contrast is stark. In Infantino’s news conference, he spoke about community and emotion—fans “cry if their team loses or cry if their team wins,” and feel that shared intensity together.
For Iran and its supporters, the reported disruptions turn that promise into something harder to reach.
A Somali referee turned away
The report also highlights U.S. denials involving Omar Artan, a Somali referee who has officiated World Cup qualifiers and the Under-20 World Cup last year. The story says he was denied entry for “dubious reasons,” alongside other people turned away at the U.S. border.
Infantino’s remarks brushed past the issue, while the reported U.S. actions gave critics a concrete example of who is getting stopped—and what that means for a tournament meant to open doors.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls it an “anathema”
The anger isn’t limited to fans. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said earlier this week—when asked about visa restrictions—that the United States’ approach contradicts the tournament’s purpose.
“If we can’t even allow the players. the teams and journalists covering those teams to come to this country. it begs the larger question about our commitment to the spirit of this tournament. ” Mamdani said. “We want this to be a tournament that reflects our commitment to us being part of something larger than ourselves.”.
In the report’s framing, that criticism lands directly on the U.S. behavior critics describe as treating international arrivals as an obstacle course rather than a welcome.
Ordinary fans priced out of the World Cup
Even as visa issues threaten to shrink the guest list, ticket prices are described as pushing many ordinary fans out altogether. The report argues that what makes soccer special is accessibility: “Your race, your ethnicity, your gender, your religion, your socioeconomic status – none of it matters.”
In that telling, the World Cup is supposed to be a sport where anyone can play if they have “a ball and some space.” Instead, the tournament is described as “shaping up to be no different than the Super Bowl or the Final Four,” more of a corporate “experience” than a wide-open public celebration.
That pricing, combined with the reported visa barriers, creates a single question that runs through the story: whether the U.S. is hosting the World Cup as a global tournament—or curating it as something for a smaller, preferred audience.
A host moment that could have changed perceptions
The report’s central lament is the missed opportunity. Hosting the World Cup, it says, could have been transformative for the United States—drawing the country closer to the rest of the world and giving Americans “a new appreciation for people and places previously unfamiliar to us.”
It also argues the event could have reminded the world of America’s power for good, portraying the U.S. as “in general, a good-natured people, outgoing and approachable.”
Instead, the story describes a different legacy taking shape—one shaped by reported visa denials involving Iran’s team, a Somali referee, and the broader experience of access and affordability.
The final takeaway is blunt: the tournament’s promise of unity is meeting gatekeeping at the border and the kind of pricing that keeps many fans away. In that clash. the report portrays the World Cup as losing the chance to reflect the best of the host—and to feel. for visitors and Americans alike. like something bigger than politics.
World Cup visas Donald Trump Gianni Infantino Omar Artan Iran World Cup Zohran Mamdani U.S. border ticket prices U.S. host