Allegations of discrimination against the United States at the FIFA World Cup: Referee sent back, checked players on runways, called in dog squads; Fans said - behaving like criminals

Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the United States has been accused of discrimination. The controversy escalated when players and officials from Senegal, Uzbekistan and Somalia were subjected to rigorous checks on the runway. In some cases, dog squads were also called. Many videos of these incidents have gone viral on social media. People have questioned why players and sports officials are being treated like criminals. The controversy escalated when Somalia referee Omar Orton was sent back from Miami airport despite having a valid US visa. Orton was to become the first Somali official to officiate at the World Cup. U.S. officials said they were not allowed entry after additional investigations, but did not specify the reason. Somalia's sports ministry has expressed displeasure over the decision, calling it against the spirit of sportsmanship. Viral 2 Video Users on Social Media Say - Why FIFA Is Silent Many users also accused FIFA of being silent on the humiliating treatment of players from those countries. Pictures and videos related to the investigation are quickly going viral on social media. Some questioned whether the transaction was the same with all the teams. One social media user wrote, "Did this happen to any white team, or was this transaction just for Senegal? This is weird. Reserve tickets withdrawn from Iranian Football Association The Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) has alleged that a portion of the reserved tickets for the FIFA World Cup have been withdrawn. This has come as a big shock to the Iranian fans who had already booked the trip, but now they will not be able to watch their team's matches. Iran's first match will be against New Zealand on June 16. The team will then face Belgium on June 22 and Egypt on June 27. "Depriving Iranian supporters of ticket quotas is against the spirit of sportsmanship and the principle of equality," the federation said. The FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 The FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. A total of 48 teams will participate in the tournament and 104 matches will be played.