The World Cup visa mess has its roots in Gianni Infantino's cosiness to President Trump

The World Cup visa situation is traced to U.S. immigration policies from the Trump era, including the executive order titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion and wide travel bans affecting numerous countries, along with visa bonds that can reach up to $15,000 for business or tourist entries. The disruption is visible in real-world scenes, such as a Somali referee reportedly turned away at Miami International Airport and Iranian and African journalists denied visas, while Iran relocated its training base to Mexico for the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has framed the dispute as a host-country issue rather than a FIFA mandate, insisting that the world should be welcome in America even as critics argue the organization overpromises and deflects responsibility. During a 2025 FIFA Congress in Paraguay, Infantino stated that the world would be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the World Cup, a pledge observers say blurs the line between messaging and policy. Some FIFA insiders have started pushing back, noting that the organization cannot override the admissions decisions of host nations and that responsibility ultimately lies with national governments. The piece portrays Infantino's public persona as a unifier who promises global accessibility, while visa processes expose friction between FIFA’s messaging and concrete immigration policy.