The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, has been denied a visa to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US. He criticized the decision as unfair to footballers worldwide.
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The head of the Palestinian Football Association has said he is unable to travel to the United States with other federation heads attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup because he has not been issued a visa.
Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive 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,” the veteran Palestinian political figure said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino (centre) attempted to orchestrate a handshake between Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub (right) and the Israeli delegate at the congress in May, but Rajoub refused. Photograph: Bob Frid/EPA
The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, but Fifa typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity.
“Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the Fifa World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,” Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, said last year.
The United States, however, has refused entry to delegates from several countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer travelling with Iraq’s team.
Jibril Rajoub was denied a visa by the United States, preventing him from attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rajoub stated that it is unfair to deny footballers worldwide the right to attend the World Cup.
Several other accredited individuals, including federation heads, have also been denied visas or have not yet received them.
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Infantino said this week that Fifa had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the US government.
“We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
The US state department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority.
It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to travel to the United Nations general assembly last September.
Rajoub and other Palestinian football 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, also decrying restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and how war in the Gaza Strip has damaged or destroyed 80% of sports facilities and killed at least 565 players there, according to the association.
Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at Infantino’s behest because he said the gesture would not heal wounds but instead whitewash Israel’s actions.
Rajoub pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.