Palestine football chief says he wasn’t granted US visa to attend World Cup
Summary
The head of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, is waiting in Mexico City for a US visa to attend the FIFA World Cup. He and some others have been denied or delayed visas by the US, despite FIFA’s usual policy of inviting football association leaders worldwide to promote unity.Key Facts
- Jibril Rajoub attended the opening World Cup match in Mexico City but has not received US entry permission.
- The US has denied or delayed visas for some World Cup delegates from certain countries.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino said FIFA cannot overrule US government visa decisions.
- The US added new visa restrictions for Palestinian passport holders, especially those linked to the Palestinian Authority.
- Palestinian officials, including Rajoub, accuse Israel of violating football rules by letting teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank play in Israel’s league.
- Rajoub says Israel’s actions and the war on Gaza have damaged Palestinian sports facilities and caused player deaths.
- Rajoub refused to shake hands with Israel’s football chief, saying it wouldn’t address the real issues.
- When Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not impose similar visa restrictions on invited guests.
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