World Cup 2026, tournament of controversies begins: another venomous dig at Donald Trump and the US
The 2026 World Cup opens today at 9 p.m. Italian time with the match between Mexico and South Africa in one of soccer’s temples, Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, but the atmosphere is not one of a great global celebration. The tournament is already getting off to a start shrouded in tensions, cross-accusations and a political climate that continues to overhang any sporting issue, and it is especially what is happening in the United States, the country of the three organizers that will host the most matches, that is keeping the debate heated even on kickoff day.
The case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was turned away at the U.S. border despite being selected by FIFA, remains an open wound. The match director had broken his silence, explaining that he wanted to look forward after his forced return to Somalia, where he was welcomed as a hero. But the affair continues to produce shockwaves, even following the words of Gianni Infantino, who reiterated the position of the International Federation: “We cannot meddle in the migration policies of an organizing country.”
The next spark came from Canada. David Eby, premier of British Columbia, the country’s western province in which the most populous city is Vancouver, posted a message on X that was destined to cause controversy: “Mr. Artan would be welcomed and celebrated in British Columbia for what he has had to go through,” he wrote, “Let’s have him referee in Vancouver.”
A political provocation rather than a real proposal (the possibility of Artan being able to referee in these World Cups, after what happened, is zero) but enough to make the rounds of the world. The subtext is clear: a direct attack on the U.S. handling of visas and, indirectly, on Donald Trump’s leadership in the context of a tournament that the U.S. is hosting along with Mexico and Canada.
The U.S. and its president thus remain in the crosshairs of vibrant criticism, from many quarters, for being too rigid in entry controls. An issue that has fueled rising tensions in recent weeks: the result is a World Cup that starts with an unprecedented load of controversy amid accusations of political interference, diplomatic cases, closed borders and an international climate that is anything but relaxed. And while the ball is about to roll, the impression is that the field risks being only part of the story.
