The “not-so-much-anticipated” 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially get underway in Mexico City on Thursday when co-hosts Mexico and Bafana Bafana set the tone for the global showpiece, which has had many bizarre sideshow moments.
There have been a lot of unpleasant and embarrassing events leading up to the competition, such as the high-ticket pricing, climate concerns, and geopolitical tensions involving the United States (US) and some Middle Eastern countries due to the ongoing US-Israel war.
All these major controversies and logistical challenges have resulted in teams and even officials struggling to obtain visas, particularly from the US.
One of the most recent cases is the visa situation involving the Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied access to the US due to suspicions of links to ‘suspected members of terror organisations’ by the controversial Donald Trump-led administration.
Trump’s so-called strict immigration restrictions forced Artan to return to Somalia, with the reigning African referee of the year receiving a hero’s welcome at home.
It will also be interesting to see how a team that is in war with a co-host nation will turn out when Iran plays all their group games in the US.
‘We don’t control everything’
Despite all the concerns raised by staunch football fans around the world about how the US has loosely handled the issuing of visas and failure to put aside political feuds, FIFA president Gianni Infantino fended off the rising concerns that have since put the credibility of the most prestigious football tournament in disrepute.
“We try always to find solutions – always,” Infantino said in a press conference in Mexico City on Wednesday.
“But then we need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces, and I don’t know what. We are a sports organisation; we try to do our best with the means that we have.
“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia [Artan]. But again, we don’t control everything. We try, we’ll discuss, we’ll speak, and we’ll see. Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just, you know, chill, relax.”
Bafana not spared
Even Bafana players and technical team members have had their fair share of the US visa saga, which led to Hugo Broos’ assistant coach, Helman Mkhalele, joining the team late in Mexico.
Be that as it may, the game between Mexico and Bafana has a lot of excitement around it because the game will somewhat be a repeat of the opening match during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa 16 years ago.
The game will even be personal for Broos, who will be entering the iconic Azteca Stadium 40 years later, when he played as a center back at the 1986 World Cup for Belgium. Unfortunately, the Belgian greyhead was on the losing side as a player, with a 2-1 defeat to Mexico but will hope to get his revenge as a Bafana coach.
“It will be 40 years since I played in the World Cup in Mexico. It will be fantastic to do it as a coach, 40 years later. I’m not going to go on until I’m 80, so it would be the perfect moment to stop. But I am really motivated, together with my team,” Broos previously said at one of his press conferences leading up to the competition.
Azteca stadium part of football heritage
Another fact that makes the Azteca Stadium special and part of football heritage is that it’s the ground where one of the greatest footballers on earth, the late Diego Maradona, famously scored two of the most iconic goals in football history during the quarter-final between Argentina and England in the 1986 World Cup.
The Azteca Stadium birthed the ‘Hand of God’ when Maradona used his hand to score and the ‘Goal of the Century’ when, a few minutes later, he dribbled past five England players from his own half to score a riveting solo goal.
So, one can only imagine what is going through the minds of the players, particularly Bafana, who could not have asked for a better return to the World Cup after 16 years of trying.
Bafana have been drawn in Group A alongside Mexico, South Korea, and the Czech Republic.
Read more:
Somali soccer referee who was denied US entry says what happened was ‘fate’
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off in Mexico City with a match between co-hosts Mexico and Bafana Bafana amidst various controversies including high ticket prices, climate concerns, and geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Israel war.
- Visa issues have plagued teams and officials, notably Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied US entry over alleged terror links, highlighting challenges under the Trump-era immigration policies.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged these problems but emphasized FIFA’s limited control over government policies, urging patience despite the visa complications impacting teams like South Africa.
- The opening match holds special significance as Bafana coach Hugo Broos returns to Azteca Stadium 40 years after playing there in the 1986 World Cup, hoping for a better outcome against Mexico.
- Azteca Stadium is historically famous for Diego Maradona’s legendary 1986 World Cup goals, adding to the excitement as Bafana re-enters the World Cup after 16 years, placed in Group A with Mexico, South Korea, and the Czech Republic.
