By With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, travel restrictions and heightened security screening are creating complications for participants from Iran and Somalia as the United States prepares to host matches alongside Mexico and Canada.
Iran’s national soccer team has been forced to adjust its plans ahead of group-stage games in Los Angeles and Seattle. The squad moved its training base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, near the U.S. border, after uncertainty surrounding visas and entry requirements, according to reports.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico recently said the team must enter and leave the United States on the same day as its matches. Players ultimately received authorization to travel, but Iranian state media reported that 14 support staff members and federation officials had not been granted U.S. visas.
Those reportedly affected include Football Federation Secretary-General Hedayat Mombeini and Vice President Mehdi Mohammad Nabi. The visa issues have forced the team to restructure its logistics as it prepares for the tournament.
The Iranians aren’t the only American foe having trouble getting into the country. Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the United States after arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday.
Artan, one of 52 referees selected for the tournament, had been poised to become the first Somali official to referee a World Cup match. Instead, he was questioned for an extended period before being placed on a flight back to Istanbul.
Artan said he had completed FIFA training courses in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and suggested the decision may have been tied to his nationality.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection cited “vetting concerns” following additional inspection but did not provide further details.
The Trump administration has imposed strict travel restrictions on Somalia as part of its broader immigration and national-security policies. Trump has also repeatedly raised concerns about fraud involving members of Somali diaspora communities, particularly in Minnesota, where authorities have investigated immigration and benefit-related schemes.
FIFA confirmed that Artan would not officiate during the World Cup and said it does not control immigration decisions made by host countries. It remains unclear whether Artan could have been assigned to matches in Mexico or Canada.
The referee said he planned to return to Mogadishu, Somalia.
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