Charlie Alford

Canada denies Ghana star entry visa as FIFA says it cannot intervene

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:13 June 2026
Post last modified:13 June 2026

Ghana have suffered a major setback ahead of their 2026 World Cup campaign after it was confirmed that midfielder Thomas Partey will miss their opening match against Panama in Toronto following a decision by Canadian authorities to deny him entry to the country. According to Reuters, the ruling will deprive Ghana of one of their most influential players for their first fixture of the tournament. FIFA confirmed that Partey, who is currently with the Ghana squad in the United States, will not be permitted to travel to Canada for the match against Panama. The governing body stressed that visa decisions fall…

Somali referee dropped from World Cup after US visa denial

Post author:Faz Ali
Post published:9 June 2026
Post last modified:10 June 2026

Somalia’s top referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, has been dramatically ruled out of the 2026 World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, ending what would have been a landmark moment for Somali football. The 34‑year‑old, voted Africa’s best referee in 2025, was set to become the first Somali official to take charge at a men’s World Cup finals. Instead, he was forced to fly back to Istanbul after being turned away at Miami International Airport. FIFA confirmed the decision late on Monday, acknowledging that one of Africa’s most respected officials would not be part of the tournament after US…

World Cup visa chaos shows the settler colonial US is a hostile environment

Post author:Alex/Rose Cocker
Post published:8 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

Fans have found themselves facing rejections, restrictions, and outright bans for short-term visa applications to the US for this year’s men’s FIFA World Cup. Of course, this is hardly a surprise, given the Trump administration’s undisguised racism and Islamophobia. However, the news underscores existing criticisms of FIFA for awarding hosting responsibilities to the US in the first place. World Cup chaos entirely expected The states unveiled its bid to host the 2026 world cup back in 2017. Under the banner ‘United 2026’, it was a joint endeavor between the US, Canada, and Mexico. The latter two countries will host 13 matches…

Visa crisis threatens media coverage for the 2026 World Cup

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:7 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

As FIFA continues to promote the 2026 World Cup as the most expansive and inclusive tournament in history, a new crisis has emerged that could overshadow the long-awaited event. The International Sports Press Association has warned of significant difficulties facing dozens of accredited journalists in securing visas to enter the United States. In an official letter to FIFA media officials, the association revealed it has received an increasing number of complaints from accredited journalists—including a large group of Iranian journalists and those from various African nations—who have yet to secure the necessary visas, despite fulfilling all of the tournament’s media accreditation…

Fogarty to political activist denied UK visa: ‘Nobody thinks you can’t criticise Israel’

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:3 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

US anti-genocide journalist Cenk Uygur was interviewed on LBC with Shelagh Fogarty this week. The Starmer regime had just cancelled the UK visas of Uygur and fellow commentator Hasan Piker. Yet Fogarty was determined to ignore the obvious and was seemingly oblivious to how that would backfire. So she told Uygur blithely: “Nobody in this country thinks you can’t criticise Israel”. Yes, she actually said that out loud. Fogarty ignores Uygur’s ban for opposing barbarism Uygur’s response was immediate: “Well I just got banned for it”. The clip was promptly posted by Green party candidate, Mark Adderley, who knows a thing…

Oxford Union condemns Uygur/ Piker visa cancellation but its own hands are dirty

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:2 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

The Oxford Union (OU) has issued a statement condemning the Starmer government for cancelling the entry visas of US anti-genocide speakers Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker. The pair had been scheduled to speak at an OU debate and were barred by Starmer for their speech against Israel’s genocide and other crimes. But its own free speech record is anything but spotless. The government’s action to please the UK Israel lobby is a disgrace, if an entirely unsurprising one. In a post on X, OU president, Arwa Elrayess, said it would proceed with the event. She added that the cancellation was a…