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By Lawrence Agbo
The White House task force overseeing preparations for the 2026 World Cup has defended the United States’ decision to deny entry to a Somali referee and several support staff linked to the Iranian national team, insisting the move was driven by security considerations rather than sporting bias.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the World Cup task force, said the U.S. has already received 35 participating teams without incident and has not blocked any players or coaches.
“No players, no coaches have been denied,” said Andrew Giuliani. “There have been some officials that have been denied, and for good reason.”
He said the administration is attempting to balance hosting a global tournament with maintaining strict security screening. According to him, officials are working to prevent individuals deemed a risk from entering the country under the guise of tournament accreditation.
Giuliani’s comments came amid questions over the rejection of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was expected to make history as the first official from Somalia to referee at a World Cup.
Artan, who was named Africa’s men’s referee of the year in 2025 by CAF, was reportedly turned back upon arrival in Miami.
While Giuliani declined to provide specific details, he insisted the decision was justified. “It was for a very good reason,” he said, adding that certain individuals presenting themselves as coaches or officials may not actually be what they claim.
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The visa restrictions are linked in part to broader U.S. immigration controls, including travel limitations affecting several countries, including Iran.
Iranian teams are scheduled to play their group-stage matches in the United States, although rising tensions have already disrupted logistics, forcing Iran to relocate its training base to Mexico.
The Iranian Football Federation also said some support staff visas were denied and that its supporter ticket allocation had been withdrawn.
Giuliani, however, maintained that all official coaching staff approved for the tournament would be allowed entry, while unspecified individuals would not.
“All the Iranian coaching staff is coming in,” he said. “But there are some Iranian officials that are not coming in — again for very good reason.”
He further alleged that some applicants may be misrepresenting their roles within the team structure, adding that the United States is determined to ensure a fair and secure tournament environment while preventing access to individuals with alleged links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Giuliani also said intelligence assessments had not identified any credible threats to the tournament, but confirmed that monitoring efforts have been intensified ahead of kickoff and will continue throughout the competition, which runs under the umbrella of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
He said the goal remains to safeguard both security and sporting integrity until the final match is played on July 19.
