Fifa’s double standards in its treatment of Russia, Israel and the United States have turned me off the World Cup, which kicks off on Friday morning in Malaysia at 3am, with Mexico taking on South Africa.
It’s not just me who feels this way. Several football fans I spoke to said they are not feeling the usual World Cup fever, with many blaming US President Donald Trump and Fifa president Gianni Infantino for their indifference.
The main issue for most of them is that while Fifa was quick to sanction Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, football’s governing body has not penalised Israel over its ongoing genocide in Gaza and military operations in Lebanon and Iran.
The United States has been complicit in Israel’s actions, yet, as usual, no action has been taken against it.
There is also the issue of US immigration authorities denying a visa to Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to become the first person from his country to appear at a World Cup.
Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (Caf) Men’s Referee of the Year, was turned away at Miami International Airport because Somalia is among the countries affected by Washington’s travel restrictions.
Fifa, which promised easy access for World Cup participants, has distanced itself from the matter, saying it is a decision for the US government.
Yet previous host nations went to considerable lengths to facilitate entry. Brazil granted temporary visas to ticket holders in 2014, while Russia and Qatar largely eliminated border-related friction through Fan IDs and Hayya cards.
Imagine the reaction if Qatar had barred a European referee from entering the country four years ago.
This year, however, Fifa appears content to accept whatever Trump’s administration dictates.
Iran has also faced significant obstacles. Initially, its team was permitted to travel to the United States only on match days, but earlier today, the Department of Homeland Security eased the restriction, allowing entry a day before matches against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle.
Even then, the players only received their visas on Friday. Striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after arriving with the squad on Saturday, while several members of the support staff were denied entry altogether.
Supporters have also faced difficulties purchasing tickets. Fifa regulations state that each federation participating in the World Cup receives eight per cent of the tickets for each of its matches to distribute to supporters.
However, Iran’s ticketing situation has been complicated by American regulatory requirements, including those imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Yesterday, the Iranian Football Federation claimed its allocation was withdrawn.
Exorbitant ticket prices have also contributed to sluggish sales, while many hotels in US host cities are reporting slow booking rates, unlike their counterparts in co-host nations Mexico and Canada.
These are just some of the problems facing football’s greatest showpiece ahead of kick-off.
Despite all that, football remains football.
On the sporting side, I hope Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Japan make the final four.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Brazil and generally prefer South American teams, so I would love to see the Selecao beat Argentina in the semifinals.
I also enjoy Spain’s style of football and admire its government’s strong stance against the Zionists, so I hope La Roja make it to the last four.
Sentimentally, I would love to see Japan make history and actually win the World Cup.
Perhaps then, the tournament might redeem itself.
Footnote: Malaysians who want to catch the action on the pitch can do so via these methods.
