The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, has been denied a visa to enter the US, in the latest case of a senior official being barred from attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
While the Palestinian national team did not qualify to play in the tournament, Rajoub, who possesses official Fifa accreditation, had planned to travel alongside global football delegates to attend the matches.
He was able to watch the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday in Mexico City, where he remains now.
He said the visa denial was an unfair and a politically motivated restriction on global football representatives, noting a stark contrast to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which he attended without facing diplomatic obstacles.
“I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” he said.
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Last month, Rajoub declined Fifa President Gianni Infantino’s request to shake hands with the head of the Israeli football federation, stating that the symbolic gesture would only whitewash Israel’s unlawful actions.
The Palestinian figure is among several other people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the US.
Restrictions across the tournament
The tournament, which commenced on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico, has been overshadowed by extensive travel restrictions, visa denials and heightened security measures implemented by the US government.
Host countries normally avoid making a point out of denying entry to delegates, athletes and support staff, but those involved in the US tournament have faced severe visa restrictions and bans on entry.
Omar Abdulkadir Artan of Somalia, named the 2025 African referee of the year, was recently denied US entry, despite holding a valid visa issued by the State Department.
World Cup 2026: Tournament kicks off under shadow of politics and restrictions
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Members of the Iraqi national delegation, including star player Aymen Hussein and the team photographer, were detained for seven hours at Chicago’s airport.
While Hussein was eventually permitted entry, the photographer was turned away.
The International Sports eSporty News reported that numerous African and Iranian journalists have also been denied the multi-entry visas necessary to follow matches across the three host nations: the US, Canada and Mexico.
Additionally, numerous ticket-holding fans from Scotland and Morocco have had travel authorisations revoked or visas denied at the last minute.
Iran announced that its official eight percent ticket allocation was revoked just days before the tournament’s commencement, leaving numerous fans who had already arranged travel plans unable to attend.
Adding to the tension, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that ICE agents would be deployed at US stadiums for security.
Over 120 civil rights organisations stated that the presence of agents compromises the safety of international visitors and stadium personnel.
In response to these developments, Fifa issued a statement clarifying that the organisation does not interfere in the domestic immigration and visa adjudication processes of host nations.
This stance has drawn comparisons to 2023, when Fifa stripped Indonesia of the Under-20 World Cup after local officials objected to the participation of Israel.
