Infantino defends FIFA as World Cup visa rows reach Belgium's group
FIFA president Gianni Infantino used his eve-of-tournament news conference in Mexico City to defend the organisation’s handling of political pressure around the 2026 World Cup, including U.S. visa restrictions that have affected Iran’s preparations and blocked Somali referee Omar Artan from entering the United States. FIFA says the tournament has expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, but the opening week is being framed as much by border policy, ticket prices and U.S.-Iran tensions as by football. U.S. officials said visas were issued for Iran’s players and necessary support staff, while some wider applicants may have been refused. That matters directly to Belgium because the Red Devils face Iran in Los Angeles on 21 June in Group G. The football question is whether FIFA can keep the competition functioning when host-government security decisions shape who can travel, officiate and watch.
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About this story
Gianni Infantino (FIFA president since 2016, a Swiss-Italian sports administrator) is the public face of the governing body’s response. FIFA (the Zurich-based world football federation founded in 1904) runs the World Cup and sets tournament rules. Donald Trump (U.S. president and head of the 2026 U.S. federal host government) controls the immigration and security apparatus shaping entry decisions. Omar Artan (Somali international referee selected for the 2026 tournament) became a test case after U.S. Customs and Border Protection said he was refused entry over vetting concerns. Iran’s national football team (Team Melli, a Group G opponent for Belgium) has had to manage U.S. visa uncertainty during the tournament. The Red Devils (Belgium’s men’s national team) play Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in Group G. Inglewood (Los Angeles-area city in California) hosts Belgium v Iran at SoFi Stadium.
How to read this story
The history
World Cups have often carried political pressure. Argentina’s 1978 tournament unfolded under a military dictatorship; the United States and Iran met at France 1998 in a match loaded with diplomatic symbolism; Russia 2018 proceeded after Crimea-related sanctions and Western criticism; Qatar 2022 was dominated before kick-off by labour-rights and LGBTQ-rights scrutiny. FIFA awarded the 2026 tournament to the United States, Mexico and Canada on 13 June 2018, creating the first three-country World Cup. The current visa rows revive an old question in a new setting: whether FIFA’s access promises can prevail over a host state’s border and security powers.
The bigger picture
The controversy shows how major sport can become a pressure point in geopolitical rivalry. A tournament marketed as global inclusion is being tested by U.S. security policy, Iran’s isolation and FIFA’s dependence on host-state cooperation. The broader lesson is that sports bodies can award events, but governments still decide borders, policing and diplomatic access.
Why now
The issue became urgent because the tournament opened on 11 June and Infantino faced questions on 10 June about visa refusals, Iran’s participation and the blocked Somali referee. Belgium’s match against Iran is now only days away.
What to watch
Watch Iran’s 15 June match logistics, any public update on Omar Artan’s status, and whether FIFA or U.S. authorities clarify access for Iranian staff and supporters before Belgium v Iran on 21 June. A smooth first Iran match would lower immediate risk; a fresh refusal would intensify scrutiny.
Local impact
The most concrete Belgian effect is around the Red Devils’ supporter community and football businesses serving them: fan clubs, sports bars, broadcasters and travel agents will treat Belgium v Iran as both a sporting fixture and a logistics story. Belgian travellers heading to the United States should follow official entry guidance rather than assuming World Cup tickets remove normal border checks.
International angle
The cross-border issue is central: FIFA is staging one tournament across Canada, Mexico and the United States while one host government controls entry to most matches. Iran’s Group G games sit inside wider U.S.-Iran tension, and Belgium becomes part of the story because its national team plays Iran on U.S. soil.
What this means for you
Belgian fans travelling to North America should rely on official U.S., Canadian and Mexican entry rules, not on FIFA accreditation or match tickets alone. For viewers in Belgium, the practical question is sporting fairness: whether Belgium’s Group G opponents can prepare and compete without avoidable administrative disruption.
What happens next
The immediate test is whether Iran’s first U.S. match against New Zealand on 15 June proceeds without further travel disruption. Belgium then plays Iran on 21 June in Los Angeles before Group G closes on 26 June. FIFA is expected to keep negotiating operational issues with host authorities, while any new visa refusal or protest could quickly become a tournament story.
Potential consequences
If the visa disputes remain contained, the football may quickly take over once matches begin. If they widen, FIFA could face renewed scrutiny over host selection, neutral access guarantees and the practical meaning of an inclusive World Cup. For Belgium, the risk is less about direct disruption to the Red Devils than about the legitimacy of Group G if one opponent’s preparation, staff presence or supporter access is visibly constrained.
Opposing perspectives
- FIFA / Gianni Infantino
Infantino’s strongest case is that FIFA can organise matches, ticketing and football operations, but cannot command sovereign border agencies. He argues that FIFA is working behind the scenes, that security decisions must be respected, and that getting Iran onto U.S. soil at all is already a major operational success.
- U.S. host-government security officials
The U.S. security frame is that a global tournament does not suspend national border control. Officials present visa screening as a national-security obligation, especially around Iran and other sensitive cases, and argue that athletes and necessary staff can be admitted while wider applicants remain subject to standard vetting.
- Iranian football authorities and affected supporters
Iran’s football authorities frame the restrictions as a fairness problem: if a qualified team cannot travel, prepare, bring staff or distribute supporter tickets on normal terms, the host has compromised sporting equality. Their argument is that FIFA’s neutrality promise should include practical access for teams, officials and fans.
- European and Belgian football audience
For Belgian fans, the strongest concern is sporting integrity rather than U.S. domestic politics. Belgium can only assess Group G fairly if Iran, Egypt, New Zealand and the Red Devils operate under comparable match conditions, with officials, staff and supporters treated predictably across venues.
Timeline
- 2018-06-13·FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to the joint United States, Mexico and Canada bid.
- 2026-06-06·U.S. officials said Iran’s players and necessary support staff had been approved for visas.
- 2026-06-10·Gianni Infantino defended FIFA’s handling of visa rows and political pressure in Mexico City.
- 2026-06-11·The 2026 World Cup opened in Mexico City.
- 2026-06-15·Iran are scheduled to play New Zealand in the Los Angeles area.
- 2026-06-21·FIFA’s schedule places Belgium v Iran in Los Angeles.
- 2026-06-26·Iran are scheduled to play Egypt in Seattle and Belgium to play New Zealand in Vancouver.
Glossary
- Group G
- Belgium’s first-round World Cup group, containing Belgium, Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.
- FIFA
- The global governing body for football, responsible for organising the men’s World Cup.
- Red Devils
- The common English name for Belgium’s men’s national football team.
Related to this story
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.