According to a report by Al Jazeera, here are the five biggest controversies surrounding the 2026 football tournament so far:
1. FIFA advises people to “chill and relax” after a Somali referee is denied entry to the US
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was unable to participate in the World Cup after being denied entry into the United States, despite holding a valid visa.
The broader immigration policies of the US administration have faced criticism for being racist and discriminatory.
Last year, Washington implemented a sweeping travel ban affecting citizens from 12 countries, including Somalia, as well as four of the teams that qualified for the World Cup: Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. An official from the administration of President Donald Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that Artan was denied entry due to alleged links to “suspected members of terror organizations.” FIFA was conspicuously silent in defending Artan, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino saying critics should “chill and relax”.
2. Balogun’s reprieve raises concerns about the integrity of the tournament
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was compelled to defend the organization’s disciplinary process after the decision to suspend USA striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban during the World Cup. This decision followed a direct intervention by former President Donald Trump, which led to accusations that FIFA had succumbed to political pressure. Infantino stated that FIFA’s judicial bodies had acted “independently and autonomously” and informed Trump that the Balogun case was still subject to an ongoing legal process after the U.S. president personally requested a review.
The situation prompted condemnation from UEFA, the governing body of European football, which asserted that FIFA had “crossed a red line.”
3. VAR Controversy
There have been several contentious decisions regarding the use of the much-criticized video assistant referee (VAR) system, most notably following Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup round of 16. Egypt seemed poised for one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, leading the defending champions 2-0 with just 11 minutes remaining. Unfortunately, they conceded three late goals and were eliminated from the competition.
A significant point of controversy arose from a goal scored by Egypt’s Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute, which would have increased their lead.
However, the goal was disallowed following a VAR review that identified a foul by an Egyptian player in the build-up. “Surely, this is not something VAR should be reviewing,” former England goalkeeper Rob Green commented during Fox’s broadcast of the match, referring to the distant foul that led to Zico’s goal being canceled. “It’s a full length of the pitch away.”
4.Sky-High Ticket Prices
Earlier this week, it was revealed that FIFA had nearly 1,200 category two tickets available for the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, priced at $7,380 each.
FIFA has faced intense criticism regarding the high cost of World Cup tickets throughout various sales phases leading up to the tournament. One fan group even filed a lawsuit claiming the prices are excessive.
In April, FIFA listed four tickets on its resale market for $2 million each. While FIFA President Gianni Infantino made a joke about that, he defended the exorbitant prices, asserting that FIFA is obligated to take advantage of U.S. laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above their face value.
5. ‘Hydration’ commercial breaks
FIFA’s decision to implement hydration breaks during all World Cup matches, regardless of the temperature, has sparked controversy.
When FIFA announced the rule in December, they stated that players would benefit from three-minute hydration breaks in each half of the games, emphasizing their commitment to player welfare in response to heat concerns.
However, players, coaches, fans, and pundits have criticized this decision, arguing that it disrupts the flow of the matches and effectively divides the game into four quarters instead of two halves. Many games have not been played under excessively hot conditions, raising further questions about the necessity of these breaks. Senior meteorologist Everton Fox shared his perspective with Al Jazeera, stating, “While New York, California, Miami, and some Mexican stadiums have experienced heat, there’s no justification for breaks in air-conditioned venues like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, or Vancouver.”
Sources: Al Jazeera , Shafaqna English
