Somali Referee Says His World Cup Dream Is Dashed After U.S. Denies Entry; The New York Times, June 9, 2026

Matthew Mpoke Bigg, The New York Times ; Somali Referee Says His World Cup Dream Is Dashed After U.S. Denies Entry

I had the right papers and everything,” Omar Abdulkadir Artan said in his first interview since he was turned back. He would have been the first Somali to referee a game in the tournament

"A referee from Somalia said on Tuesday that the biggest dream of his professional life had been shattered after the American authorities denied him permission to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup soccer tournament.

The referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, was one of 52 selected for this summer’s World Cup in North America. He was one of seven African referees to be chosen for the tournament and would have been the first Somali to referee a World Cup game.

Speaking for the first time since he was denied entry to the United States, Mr. Artan told The New York Times that officiating a World Cup game would have been a symbol for all Somalis of what they could achieve in spite of their country’s difficulties.

“I am very, very disappointed,” Mr. Artan said in a telephone interview from Istanbul, the city he had been flown to after he was refused entry. “I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”...

The immigration interview ended after 11 hours, Mr. Artan said, and he was then taken to a separate holding cell where he was detained for several further hours before being put on a flight back to Istanbul. He said that officials did not give him a reason for refusing him entry."

‘They picked the wrong artist’: How a Dallas mural cover-up led to a $25m lawsuit against Fifa; The Guardian, June 8, 2026

 Pablo Iglesias Maurer, The Guardian ; ‘They picked the wrong artist’: How a Dallas mural cover-up led to a $25m lawsuit against Fifa

"What has ensued has thrust the artist into a battle with the most powerful sporting organization in the world, a local organizing committee, and has sparked a long-needed debate about the ownership and importance of public art.

In time, Wyland learned that his work had been entirely erased to make way for a new mural promoting the upcoming Fifa World Cup. Almost immediately, Wyland’s team filed a cease and desist. Days later, they filed a lawsuit against Fifa seeking $25m in damages.

“This is a David and Goliath thing for sure,” said Wyland. “They are a multi-billion dollar [organization], and I am a single artist with a small foundation, But I tell you, they picked the wrong artist and the wrong artwork. I am not going to stand by and let them get away with this.”...

Wyland’s lawsuit cites the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) of 1990, which affords artists of “recognized stature” protection against the intentional or negligent destruction of their work. The $25m that Wyland is asking for would be far and away the largest award claimed in a VARA lawsuit. The artist says he’ll donate any proceeds from the lawsuit to charity."

Planning a World Cup Watch Party at a Bar? The ‘FIFA Police’ Are Lurking; The New York Times, May 2, 2026

 Vjosa Isai, The New York Times; Planning a World Cup Watch Party at a Bar? The ‘FIFA Police’ Are Lurking

Some businesses advertising watch parties in Canada’s two host cities are wary of running afoul of FIFA’s trademark, which protects advertising “World Cup” events.

"Sports teams and athletic organizations, such as FIFA, the International Olympic Committee and others, are aggressive about protecting their intellectual property because their names, logos and brands are considered commercial assets."

FIFA accused of breaking ethics rules after giving Peace Prize to Trump; USA TODAY, December 9, 2025

Scooby Axson, USA TODAY; FIFA accused of breaking ethics rules after giving Peace Prize to Trump

"An international human rights group filed a complaint with the ethics committee of world soccer's governing body to look into FIFA President Gianni Infantino, accusing him of a possible breach of political neutrality.

FairSquare, based in London, which says its company promotes "systemic change and stops human rights abuses," filed an eight-page complaint with FIFA’s Ethics Committee over the organization's decision to give its inaugural Peace Prize to President Donald Trump, a decision that was met with swift condemnation.

“The award of a prize of this nature to a sitting political leader is in and of itself a clear breach of FIFA’s duty of neutrality,” FairSquare said in its complaint."