Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, remains stranded in Mexico City as he awaits a U.S. visa that would allow him to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His situation is not isolated; several other accredited officials and delegates from Palestine have faced denials or prolonged processing times, casting a shadow over the region’s representation at the tournament.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has acknowledged the bottleneck, but he emphasized that the governing body cannot override the United States’ sovereign decision on immigration.
The United States has recently tightened its visa regime for Palestinian passport holders, a move that culminated in the revocation of a visa previously granted to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, underscoring the political volatility surrounding the issue.
Rajoub and his colleagues have openly criticized Israel for permitting clubs from settlements in the occupied West Bank to compete in Israel’s top domestic league, arguing that such participation normalizes illegal activity.
In response, they have called on FIFA to consider sanctions against Israel, a stance that reflects growing frustration within Palestinian football circles.
The grievances echo earlier complaints made during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Moscow imposed far fewer restrictions on invited participants, a contrast that Rajoub has highlighted to illustrate perceived double standards.
Beyond the immediate visa hurdles, the episode has reignited broader debates about the intersection of sports governance and geopolitical conflict, raising questions about how international tournaments will accommodate teams and officials from contested territories.