“The magic on the pitch during the World Cup has a way of erasing everything that happens off it – for better or worse,” writes Kyle Feldscher | Analysis

The talent on display will be breathtaking and the matches should be thrilling, though a bloated group stage featuring 72 matches could dilute some of the excitement early in the tournament. Even with all those extra teams – there’s 48 in this year’s tournament, up 16 from recent editions – there will still be the surprises and upsets that make every World Cup special.

Though all eyes will be on North America, the national pride this event inspires – and the staggered start times that will allow fans watching back in their home countries to take in their teams during sort-of-normal hours – will stir incredible excitement and patriotism all around the world.

Spain and France are considered the favorites but neither squad is so dominating that it feels like a certainty that they will be playing in the final in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium in mid-July. It all sets up one of the potentially most exciting World Cups in history – if the off-the-field controversies don’t ruin the thing first.

The US’ immigration policies under the microscope
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said it wouldn’t happen. Trump and his administration said it wouldn’t happen. Everyone with a role in pulling off the World Cup assured the globe: The United States would welcome fans from all over to the quadrennial classic.

But the most obvious potential stumbling block has, in fact, come to pass and is grabbing headlines around the world: The United States’ immigration system is making things more difficult for travelers from around the globe to enjoy the tournament and, in some cases, turning away key participants before it even begins.

The decision to deny Omar Abdulkadir Artan, a Somali official named Africa’s best male referee in 2025, entry into the US was a shock to the world soccer community that is used to mostly seamless travel for the World Cup. It was proof that Trump’s policies outweighed FIFA’s desire to put on an exhibition of global unification – and the world governing body seemed to just shrug its shoulders at one of the tournament’s referees being sent home with no recourse.

Add Artan’s experience to that of the Iranian national team – caught in between two governments at war with one another and faced with one of the most unique circumstances in World Cup history – and it paints an unflattering picture of just how welcoming the American government would be during the next month.

Iran was forced to change its training base to Tijuana, Mexico, and the Trump administration will only allow the team to enter the US a day before its opening match and two days before its second and third group stage games. Iranian leadership complained that visas for key staff members were being held up and the tumult was disturbing its preparation for the tournament.

Iran’s soccer federation also alleged that its ticket allocation for the tournament had been withdrawn unexpectedly, adding that it would affect many Iranian fans who had booked their travel and accommodation based on this allocation.

And just a day before the tournament was set to kick off, Trump was vowing more military strikes in Iran after a drone struck a US Apache helicopter – even as he’s repeatedly predicted a peace deal is just around the corner.

“I’ve been to three World Cups and they always say once you get off the plane and you enter the host country, there’s just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global-ness,” Iranian player Mehdi Taremi said in an interview with ESPN.

“Unfortunately, I’m not feeling it right now. There’s a lot of tension right now in this World Cup. You feel it in the atmosphere and, unfortunately, it’s because of actions like (visa denials). Maybe that’s just my personal feeling.”

Other images of national teams from Senegal and Uzbekistan undergoing TSA-style screening outside their charter planes went viral, amping up the criticism toward America’s welcome to teams arriving for the tournament. Though the Senegalese delegation noted that the screening was expected, perception is often reality and many were quick to call out the treatment.

Reports came in from Morocco, Scotland and other countries that travelers expecting to travel to the USA for the tournament had their access to the country revoked at the last minute, costing them thousands – because nothing at this World Cup will come cheap.