As the United States hosts the FIFA Club World Cup, critics are drawing comparisons with the scrutiny faced by Qatar during the 2022 World Cup, arguing that visa restrictions, deportations, and travel bans affecting players, officials, and fans have received far less attention.
The criticism follows reports that Iranian teams and officials faced entry complications, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry despite holding a diplomatic passport, and several players and staff from non-Western countries were subjected to lengthy security checks, detentions, or deportations upon arrival.
Critics say the incidents undermine football’s image as a global unifying force and highlight what they describe as a double standard in how Western and non-Western host nations are judged on issues of human rights, migration, and international mobility.
