The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, is waiting in Mexico City for permission to enter the United States to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Rajoub was denied a US visa, despite being invited by FIFA to the event.

Visa Issues

Rajoub is not the only one facing visa issues. Several other people accredited to attend the World Cup have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States. This includes a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s team.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that FIFA had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the US government. The US State Department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders.

Rajoub has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in the occupied West Bank, and has pushed FIFA to sanction Israel. He also pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.