FIFA President Gianni Infantino pleas for patience, urges people to relax amid backlash
Key takeaways
- On Thursday, Mexico faces South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium, kicking off the 38-day tournament with matches in Mexico, the United States and Canada .
- Artan, one of the 52 referees selected by FIFA for the World Cup, was unable to enter the United States due to “issues related to background checks” and will not be able to participate in the tournament.
- “What happened to the referee from Somalia is unfortunate, but we can’t control everything.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino urged people to be patient and have reasonable expectations for how much FIFA could alter American visa policies ahead of the World Cup opener Thursday. (Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press) By Eduard Cauich Staff Writer Follow June 10, 2026 3:05 PM PT 4 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
MEXICO CITY — On the eve of the World Cup kickoff, FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for patience in the face of a series of crises that threaten to overshadow the start of the tournament, led by the case of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States.
On Thursday, Mexico faces South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium, kicking off the 38-day tournament with matches in Mexico, the United States and Canada . The run-up to the global spectacle has been marked by controversy, including the U.S. denial of participant and fan visas and high ticket prices that have triggered attorney general inquiries in the United States.