FIFA referee from Somalia turned back
A FIFA referee from Somalia who was on the list to work the 2026 World Cup was turned back at the US border, sent back to Turkey.
Where this was said
Tarek Panja on the Pre-Tournament Anxiety
At 4:14 · chapter starts 2:45
Tarek Panja returns to The Daily and immediately acknowledges the baggage this World Cup carried into kick-off. The United States — a country talking about building walls, reducing immigration, and sending people home — was asking the world to come to it. Getting visas proved difficult for many fans. There was the threat of ICE enforcement at stadiums. And right on the cusp of the opening match, a FIFA referee from Somalia who was scheduled to work the tournament was denied entry and sent back to Turkey — an ominous sign for anyone uncertain they'd be welcomed. Yet the tournament started, and something shifted.
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