Liam Duckstein
Former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright has branded this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026 a “World Cup of chaos”, with the tournament set to kick off on Thursday. His comments came after Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States despite holding valid travel documents.
Artan was turned away at Miami International Airport over the weekend. Somalia is among several countries subject to a complete US travel ban, implemented in June last year. FIFA confirmed that Artan, selected as one of 52 referees for the tournament, has been removed from its roster.
Wright posted a video on Instagram addressing a string of entry-denial incidents in the build-up to the tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
“I have just read that the Somalian referee has been denied entry. Every few hours it’s another story. Another story about fans denied, players denied, officials denied, journalists denied now refs? You know something? I’m laughing, but it’s not funny. It’s actually not funny, something has to be said.”
“Expensive tickets, most expensive tickets ever, expensive accommodation, transport through the roof. It has to be said. Is this how the hosts behave for the greatest game? The greatest tournament in the world, is this how the hosts behave? How are we not hearing more?”
“Are we not seeing Qatar got dragged? How are we not hearing more? Is this the spirit of football? Really? You know who I feel for? I feel for the American fans who are desperate for this. American soccer fans who are desperate for this and how embarrassed they must be. How embarrassing for them must this be. This is you know what this is, this is the World Cup of chaos.”
“Whoever wins this World Cup is going to have to go through some serious chaos to get this done. I hope we can do it. But something has to be said man. This is the World Cup.”
On Monday, a FIFA spokesperson issued a formal statement regarding Artan‘s situation:
“FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States. FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present. In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
The incident adds to a growing list of access problems surrounding the tournament, with fans, players, officials, and journalists all reported to have faced entry denials. Wright‘s frustration reflects a wider unease building around the organization of what is meant to be the sport’s flagship event. Follow TipsGG for continued coverage as the FIFA World Cup 2026 gets underway.