Sepp Blatter blasts FIFA and US authorities over referee visa saga

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised FIFA and its current leadership following Somali referee Omar Artan's denial of entry into the United States just days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The incident has sparked debate over the responsibilities of host nations and FIFA's role in ensuring that all tournament officials are granted access to participate in the competition.

Speaking on the matter, Blatter described the situation as both "unbelievable and crazy", arguing that allowing a World Cup host nation to deny entry to an official appointed by FIFA undermines a fundamental hosting requirement.

According to Blatter, nations awarded the right to stage the World Cup must satisfy two non-negotiable conditions.

"When a country is given the honour of hosting the World Cup, there are two indispensable rules: security and guaranteeing entry visas for all FIFA officials. There is nothing more official than a referee. If a country refuses entry to a referee, this is a serious problem, and the tournament should not be held there," he said, as reported by French newspaper L'Equipe.

Reports indicate that Omar Artan arrived at Miami International Airport in Florida as part of the refereeing team selected for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

However, US immigration authorities reportedly deemed the referee ineligible to enter the country, forcing him to return to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The development has raised concerns over whether all officials appointed by FIFA have been afforded the necessary access required to perform their duties during the competition.

Blatter, who served as FIFA president from 1998 until 2015, insisted that the governing body bears significant responsibility for the controversy.

While acknowledging that the tournament cannot be halted at this stage, he argued that FIFA had failed to uphold an important principle relating to World Cup hosting obligations.

"The tournament cannot be stopped now, but this is shameful... FIFA has abandoned a principle that the host country has not respected."

Meanwhile, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to officially kick off in Mexico on Thursday, June 11, 2026.