Africa-Press – South-Africa. The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has revealed that African and Iranian journalists have been denied the necessary visas to cover the events of the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
The association has urged FIFA to intervene urgently to address the visa issues faced by several accredited journalists covering the tournament, deeming their exclusion from entering the United States as “unacceptable.”
In a statement issued from Lausanne, Switzerland, the association noted that only a few days remain until the tournament begins, yet many journalists who have received official accreditation from FIFA are still facing various difficulties in obtaining U.S. visas. They called on FIFA to ensure that affected media representatives are not unjustly denied entry into the United States.
The statement revealed that AIPS President Gianni Merlo, on behalf of the executive committee, sent an official letter to FIFA’s media relations director Brian Swanson and the head of media operations and services Jochen Steinhoff, expressing the association’s dissatisfaction with the ongoing issue of visa denials for accredited journalists.
Merlo pointed out that there are numerous cases involving Iranian and African journalists, explaining that some have been granted single-entry visas only, which will prevent them from returning to the United States if they need to accompany their teams for scheduled matches in Canada or Mexico as part of the joint tournament.
He added that these restrictions contradict the slogans that emphasize sports as a means of building bridges between peoples, stating that the world is moving in the opposite direction in this case. He emphasized that the presence of journalists and their coverage of the tournament is crucial for enhancing the image and values of sports, especially in the United States, where press freedom is a fundamental value.
The AIPS President warned that the delay in issuing visas has already harmed the affected journalists, as many have lost the opportunity to benefit from previously booked flight tickets and have had to incur significant additional expenses.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico will host the 2026 World Cup finals, which will kick off in the coming days with the participation of 48 teams for the first time in the tournament’s history.
