Making football political again
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Sport is supposed to transcend politics but this year’s Fifa Football World Cup has become a showcase for just the opposite: the arbitrary exercise of political power. Players, referees, journalists, and supporters travelling to the United States have faced visa denials, invasive searches, travel restrictions, and threats of immigration raids.
Before it all, Fifa president Gianni Infantino bent over backwards to stay in US President Donald Trump's good graces.
If the goal was to shield the tournament from the harsh edges of Trump's administration, it has clearly failed. The US was eager to host the World Cup in 2026, the year of the 250th anniversary of American independence. But its messy start is hardly the stuff of grand national celebration or showcase. One good thing did happen this week: Omar Artan, the Somali referee denied entry in the US, returned to Mogadishu to a real hero’s welcome – and our journalist was there for it.
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