Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub says he has been denied a visa to enter the United States for the FIFA World Cup, highlighting concerns over restrictions affecting Palestinian officials amid ongoing tensions in West Asia.

The mother of seven-year-old son Makan Nasiri, killed in a US-Israeli bombing of a school in Minab, has written a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino as the 2026 World Cup begins.

FIFA's mandate has collapsed at the US-hosted 2026 World Cup as visa denials, deportations, and exclusion – targeting Iran, African and Muslim-majority countries – revealing that geopolitics, not merit, now determines access.

The Iranian Football Federation condemns in the strongest terms the abrupt decision by US authorities to cancel its ticket quota and obstruct the sale of tickets to Team Melli fans.

​​​​​​​In another scandalous event just days before the 2026 World Cup, a highly decorated Somali referee, widely described as Africa's finest, has been denied entry to the United States.

​​​​​​​Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the IRGC aerospace force commander on Wednesday issued a message of support for the national football team.

Japanese football icon Keisuke Honda has lost an advertising contract with an American company after publicly expressing his support for Iran amid the US-Israeli military aggression against the Islamic Republic.