Giuliani defends World Cup visa ban controversy, saying refusals of officials from Somalia and Iran were necessary for security

Andrew Giuliani, Head of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, on Tuesday defended the United States’ decision to deny entry to a Somali referee and several members of Iran’s support staff, insisting the move formed part of wider efforts to safeguard the integrity and security of the tournament.

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Giuliani made the remarks at an Atlantic Council event in Washington, stating that while 35 national teams had already entered the United States without incident, a small number of officials had been refused entry on security grounds.

“To this point, we’ve had 35 teams that have come into the United States. No players, no coaches have been denied,” Giuliani said.

“There have been some officials who have been denied, and for good reason.”

He added that US authorities were working to maintain what he described as a careful balance between accessibility for competing nations and preventing individuals considered a potential risk from entering under the guise of the tournament.

“We’re striking that balance between making sure that any bad actors that try to come into the country under the guise of the World Cup will not get access to the United States,” he said.

The comments come amid growing attention on the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, who was turned back at Miami International Airport after being scheduled to officiate at the tournament.

Artan had been named the Confederation of African Football Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025 and was set to become the first Somali official to participate at a World Cup.

Giuliani declined to give specific details on individual cases, but maintained the decision was justified.

“While I can’t go into the details, what I can tell you, high level, is it was for a very good reason,” he said.

The visa restrictions have also affected Iran’s World Cup preparations, with reports that several members of its support staff were denied entry and supporter ticket allocations withdrawn. The Iranian team has since relocated its training base to Mexico amid ongoing geopolitical tensions with the United States.

Giuliani confirmed that Iran’s coaching staff would be permitted to enter the country.

“All the Iranian coaching staff are coming in,” he said, while suggesting that some individuals claiming coaching roles may not be recognised as such.

He further stated that the administration aimed to ensure a “level playing field” for all participating nations while preventing access to individuals linked to groups deemed security risks.

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Despite the controversy, Giuliani said intelligence assessments had not identified any credible threats to the tournament, adding that security measures had been significantly strengthened ahead of the opening matches.