In the past, World Cup hosts tended to give FIFA what they wanted, which included easy access for officials and supporters.
This was the case in Russia and Qatar, the two most divisive World Cups.
In fact, Russia actively rolled out a visa-free red carpet in 2018.
All supporters needed had a valid passport and a personal card known as a ‘Fan ID’ to prove they were traveling for a football match.
In Qatar, fans needed Hayya cards. It was meant to serve the dual purpose of being a pre-screened travel entry document and a game ticket.
Not so in America. There are claims that the barriers continue to deter fans from traveling.
“We need to welcome fans from all over the world,” Thomas Concannon, who leads the FSA’s England fans group, told BBC Sport in April.
“And I don’t think fans could feel less welcome at this stage.”
It’s not even like Trump inherited the tournament from another administration. It received the approval and support of the Presidency with the intention of submitting the bid a few months after he took office in 2017.
What has changed is that the scale of immigration crackdowns is enormous.
Trump is happy to accept the praise for the glitz and glamor of the World Cup, but he won’t let that get in the way of his core goals.
Artan is not the only one who cannot enter the United States. Iraqi supporters who were not included in the ban explained that they had given up trying to enter the country.
Meanwhile, Iran said on Tuesday that its group ticket allocation had been canceled due to a decision by US authorities.
It seems clear that the current Trump administration has placed immigration above all else, including this World Cup.
The next test will be on Sunday, when Iran is scheduled to fly to the United States for the first time.
Iran has accused the United States of denying visas to 15 “essential” members of its secretariat staff.
The squad could fly out of Tijuana, Mexico, within 24 hours of each game, but this has not yet been tested.
It would be another unprecedented twist if teams were unable to attend their own games.
Fare’s Powar added: “I have never seen so many World Cup coaches, team management, fans and even senior managers within Fifa member associations being questioned and excluded.”
“There is so much confusion that we have to ask who runs the World Cup: FIFA or the US government with its racist immigration policies?”
Since FIFA can’t bring all the referees into the country, it feels like the U.S. government is taking control.
