Sepp Blatter is the former FIFA president
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called on World Cup host nations to guarantee unrestricted entry for all qualified participants, saying football's global nature must never be undermined by immigration barriers.
In a post on X, the 89-year-old said host countries have two fundamental responsibilities when staging FIFA's flagship tournament.
"A FIFA World Cup host country must guarantee two fundamental principles: the safety of the country, and the unrestricted entry of all qualified teams, officials and referees," Blatter wrote.
"The case of referee Omar Artan from Somalia is against one of these obligations. FIFA must never compromise the universality of football."
Blatter was referring to Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States despite being appointed by FIFA to officiate at the 2026 World Cup.
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