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Despite persistent political and diplomatic tensions and various controversies that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has had to defend himself against, “futbol” will finally resume its rights at the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, with Mexico-South Africa in the opening match.
Despite persistent political and diplomatic tensions and various controversies that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has had to defend himself against, “futbol” will finally resume its rights at the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, with Mexico-South Africa in the opening match.At the Azteca Stadium, which will host its third opening match—a record—the spectacle promises to be hot and humid, weather-wise, and colorful and festive, with an opening ceremony blending music, dance, and arts typical of Mexican culture.
For several days, the legendary stadium has become the epicenter of protests in the streets of the capital, where hundreds of demonstrators again denounced on Wednesday evening the scourge of “disappeared persons,” often killed or abducted by drug cartels. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, however, asserted that everything was “under control.”This inaugural 100% Mexican day will offer a second match in the evening in Guadalajara, between South Korea and the Czech Republic, before the focus shifts on Friday 4,000 km further northeast, to Toronto for Canada-Bosnia, then 3,500 km further southwest to Los Angeles for United States-Paraguay.
Infantino takes a hard line with the media…
On the eve of the big event, the FIFA president held a press conference on Wednesday. And it’s safe to say he was under intense scrutiny, given that preparations for this World Cup have been disrupted like never before by off-field issues, including international tensions and the impact of Donald Trump’s immigration policy.
Facing little resistance, the FIFA president notably deemed it “unfortunate” that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan was turned away by US authorities upon his arrival in Miami, Florida, despite having been granted a visa. “We don’t control everything,” he repeated several times, conceding his powerlessness in the face of the American authorities.When a British journalist questioned him about the fact that 15 members of the Iranian delegation had not been granted visas for the United States, he retorted: “In 2035, the Women’s World Cup will be held in the UK. Would you find it normal for FIFA to tell the British government who to let into the country?”
Gianni Infantino, often mocked for his close ties to the American president, then took the opportunity to praise Donald Trump’s “commitment and involvement,” without which it would have been “impossible to host a World Cup in the United States.”Before anything else, Infantino wanted to express his support for French journalist Christophe Gleizes, who has been detained in Algeria for a year.
“Victory to Omar! Victory to Somalia!”
Meanwhile in Mogadishu, a man was welcomed home as a hero: a few days after being turned back by US authorities, Omar Artan, named best African referee last year, returned to his country.
The immense ordeal suffered by Mr. Artan sparked outrage in Somalia, which had hoped to send one of its referees to the World Cup for the first time. Beyond that, his case became a symbol of the tightening of US immigration policy, despite the country being expected to host the entire world during the world’s biggest football competition.
“I’ll be there for the next World Cup” in 2030, declared Omar Artan, national flag draped over his shoulders.
Arrival of the French national team, DR Congo expected
The French team, runners-up in 2022, arrived Wednesday afternoon in Boston, greeted at their hotel by around a hundred frenzied fans, six days before their opening match against Senegal.
A completely different atmosphere is expected in Houston, Texas, on Thursday, for the arrival of the Democratic Republic of Congo players, whose preparations had to take place in Belgium and France, far from the Ebola epidemic that is affecting the country and worrying American authorities.
Gathered in Tijuana, Mexico, Iran quietly continued its preparations behind closed doors with a 3-0 victory against a local youth team.
Ivory Coast, another victim of the very strict migration policy imposed by Donald Trump, will not be able to count on the support of its fans, who have been denied visas, the president of the national committee of Ivorian supporters told AFP.
