A Somali referee has been prevented from officiating at the World Cup after he was refused entry into the US. This comes as many fans having bought tickets for the competitions have also seen their visa demands refused, and Iran's football federation claims its ticket allocation was withdrawn days before kickoff. FRANCE 24's Angela Diffley looks at the impact of the US's travel restrictions and war in Iran on the competition.
World Cup overshadowed by US travel restrictions and the war in Iran
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Story Timeline
Mon 21:39 - France 24
Somali referee dropped from World Cup after being refused entry to US
Mon 21:42 - BBC Headlines
Somali referee Artan barred from entering US ahead of World Cup
Tue 02:10 - DW All
Somali referee denied US entry, dropped from FIFA World Cup 2026
Tue 02:10 - DW Top
Somali referee denied US entry, dropped from FIFA World Cup 2026
Tue 10:33 - France 24
World Cup referee refused entry as US travel restrictions affect over 25% of participants
Tue 13:02 - France 24
World Cup overshadowed by US travel restrictions and the war in Iran