{"id":1700,"date":"2026-06-12T17:33:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T17:33:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1700"},"modified":"2026-06-12T17:33:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T17:33:44","slug":"head-of-palestinian-soccer-says-he-wasnt-granted-u-s-visa-to-attend-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacksonvillemovingnews.com\/?p=1700","title":{"rendered":"Head of Palestinian soccer says he wasn’t granted U.S. visa to attend World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The head of the Palestinian Football Association is waiting in Mexico City for permission to enter the United States, with other federation heads attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n

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Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe that it\u2019s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,\u201d the veteran Palestinian political figure said in an interview with The Associated Press.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, but FIFA typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,\u201d FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last year.<\/p>\n

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The United States, however, has refused entry to delegates from a raft of countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

Infantino said this week that FIFA had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the U.S. government.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,\u201d he told reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment on Rajoub\u2019s visa, but last year implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority.<\/p>\n

It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the United Nations General Assembly last September.<\/p>\n

Rajoub and other Palestinian soccer officials have long argued that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank play in Israel\u2019s national league. They have pushed FIFA to sanction Israel, also decrying restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and how war in the Gaza Strip has damaged or destroyed 80% of sports facilities and killed at least 565 players there, according to the association.<\/p>\n

Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel\u2019s football federation at Infantino\u2019s behest because he said the gesture would not heal wounds but instead whitewash Israel\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

Rajoub pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.<\/p>\n

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Matthew Lee contributed reporting from Washington<\/em>.<\/p>\n