Before the victorious final against Czechoslovakia in Rome in 1934, the Italian team gave the fascist salute.Image: AP NY
Donald Trump’s harsh migration policy is overshadowing the 2026 World Cup. The separation of sport and politics has already proven to be an illusion at previous World Cups.
June 10, 2026, 7:52 p.mJune 10, 2026, 7:52 p.m
Now a referee has been hit. The Somalian Omar Artan was detained in Miami despite having a valid visa refused entry into the USA. Artan is considered one of the best in his field on the continent. He was named Africa’s Referee of the Year. But people from Somalia are undesirable in Donald Trump’s America.
Such political interference in one of the largest sporting events should result in a sharp reaction from the world association FIFA. But nothing there: “FIFA can confirm that referee Omar Artan cannot take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and officiate games there,” said a spokesman the AFP agency.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (l.) is doing everything he can to keep Donald Trump happy.Image: keystone
It remains unclear whether this is the last word. But it fits with the submissive and sycophantic behavior of FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino towards the US President. He doesn’t seem to care. Football is also feeling the effects of Trump’s tough migration policy in other cases. Even Switzerland was affected with Breel Embolo.
FIFA turns a blind eye
The Iranian national team could enter after a delaybut not part of the supervisory staff. As a precaution, the Iranians moved their World Cup headquarters from the US state of Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana. Their fans were no more allowed to come to the USA than those from Haiti or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Even before the start of the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA on Thursday, it is clear that football will once again be contaminated by politics. And FIFA is turning a blind eye. It’s by no means the first time. Politics has already interfered in sport at previous tournaments. An overview without any claim to completeness:
Italy 1934
Dictator Benito Mussolini used the second World Cup finals in history as a propaganda vehicle for fascism, similar to how Adolf Hitler used the Summer Olympics in Berlin two years later. That meant the home team had to win the title. This happened thanks to a brutal style of play and anything but impartial referees.
The biggest scandal occurred in the quarter-final replay against Spain (there was no penalty shootout back then), and was responsible for it René Mercet, a referee from Switzerland. The Italians won 1-0 thanks to an irregular goal, while Mercet denied the Spaniards two correct goals and two penalties.
It was a similar story in the semi-final against the “miracle team” from Austria, led by Swede Ivan Eklind. Mussolini is said to have personally selected the respective referees. It is unclear to what extent bribery or pressure was involved. Italian players later said they were terrified of failure and played too hard as a result.
France 1938
A memorable game: German goalie Rudolf Raftl clears in front of Swiss double goalscorer André “Trello” Abegglen.Image: PHOTOPRESS ARCHIVE
In the following World Cup tournament, the performance of the Greater German team caused controversy. After Austria’s annexation, its team was withdrawn, giving Sweden a bye in the round of 16. The team from Nazi Germany, which was supplemented by the Austrian players, faced Switzerland.
After a 1-1 draw there was another replay. There the Swiss national team fell behind 0-2, but then she turned the game around and won 4-2. Greater Germany was sensationally eliminated from the tournament. In the quarter-finals, the tired Swiss lost to eventual runner-up Hungary, but they were enthusiastically celebrated when they returned home.
Argentina 1978
Argentina won the title at the home World Cup, to the delight of junta boss Jorge Videla (with a mustache).Image: WCSCC AP
When the World Cup finals took place in Argentina, there was a brutal military dictatorship there. Near the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, where the final was played, was the ESMA military academy, where political prisoners were tortured and murdered. Several European teams considered a boycott, but decided against it.
As in 1934, the hosts won the title against the Netherlands, to the delight of the military junta. And again there was a dubious game. In the intermediate round at that time, the Argentines needed a win against Peru by at least four goals to reach the final. They won 6-0. There are some indications that bribery and doping were involved.
Japan/South Korea 2002
South Korea’s Jung Hwan Ahn celebrated the winning goal in the controversial round of 16 against Italy.Image: Bongarts
It was the first final round in two countries, and the award itself was a political issue. At that time, the relationship between the Far Eastern states, which had applied separately, was strained by the time when Korea was a Japanese colony. FIFA decided on the double award, but there were also disputes during the planning.
In terms of sport, the round of 16 between co-hosts South Korea and Italy provided a lot of excitement. Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno sent off Italian playmaker Francesco Totti and canceled an Azzurri goal in extra time. The South Koreans won 2-1, and all of Italy suspected a conspiracy.
The Roman prosecutor’s office opened an investigation against Byron Moreno, without success. The Ecuadorian admitted that the Italians’ goal was correct (it would have been the golden goal for victory), but there was no evidence that the Koreans had influenced the match. However, Moreno was no longer allowed to referee international games.
Russia 2018
With Granit Xhaka’s double eagle, Switzerland caused political discord against Serbia.Image: KEYSTONE
FIFA President Sepp Blatter had the brilliant idea of awarding the 2018 and 2022 finals at the same time. Russia and Qatar came into play. The latter in particular caused protests, but the tournament in Russia also took place under politically questionable circumstances, as in 2014 President Vladimir Putin had the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea annexed.
It was the prelude to the war that led to Russia’s exclusion from world football. There were also political discords at the final tournament itself, and Swiss players were not least responsible for this. In the charged match against Serbia, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri provoked with the Albanian double eagle.
Qatar 2022
As already mentioned, the award to the Arab Emirate caused protests. Several million dollars in bribes are said to have flowed. There was controversy surrounding the organization the exploitation of migrant workers. Several thousand are said to have died; the OC admitted up to 500 deaths in the context of the World Cup.
When Sepp Blatter announced the award to Qatar, there was a hail of criticism.Image: EPA/KEYSTONE FILE
There was also criticism of discrimination against women and homosexuals and Qatar’s support for terrorist groups. There were again calls for a boycott. In terms of sport, however, the tournament was a success, and not just because of the short distances. Thanks to the controversial implementation in winter, the players were not exhausted, but in top shape.
It is foreseeable that the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia will also take place in the cold season. Gianni Infantino was in charge of the authoritarian kingdom pushed through with a questionable maneuver: The 2030 World Cup will take place in Africa, Europe and South America, meaning that three continental associations could be taken into account at the same time.
It may be that football will once again be the focus from Thursday. But with Donald Trump, this is anything but guaranteed, and Infantino’s submissive behavior will not slow the president down. It is often said that sport and politics have to be separated. The history of the World Cup in particular shows how impossible this is.