Palestine football chief denied US visa for World Cup attendance
Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association, is in Mexico City waiting for a US visa to attend the FIFA World Cup, as several accredited delegates face similar denials.
Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub is in Mexico City hoping to receive a US visa to attend the FIFA World Cup alongside other football federation heads. Rajoub attended the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, but has now joined several people accredited for the tournament who have been denied visas or are still awaiting them from the United States.
“I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” Rajoub told The Associated Press. Although the Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, FIFA typically invites heads of football associations from around the world to the event, framing it as a celebration of global unity.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously stated that “everyone will be welcome” at the World Cup, but the US has refused entry to delegates from several countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s team. Infantino said this week that FIFA has been trying to resolve visa issues but cannot overrule the US government.
The visa dispute revives long-running football tensions. The US State Department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year imposed new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders and revoked a visa for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the United Nations.
Rajoub and other Palestinian officials have long argued that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank to play in Israel’s national league. They have pushed FIFA to sanction Israel, highlighting restrictions on Palestinian players’ movement and how Israel’s war on Gaza has damaged or destroyed 80% of sports facilities and killed at least 565 players. Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at Infantino’s request, saying it would whitewash Israel’s actions. He noted that Russia did not impose similar visa restrictions during the 2018 World Cup.
