Palestinian Football Federation President Banned from Attending World Cup

SadaNews - Gabriel Barghouti, the President of the Palestinian Football Association, revealed to Agence France-Presse on Friday that he did not receive entry visas to the United States and Canada to attend the 2026 World Cup events that kicked off on Thursday in Mexico City.

Barghouti said in a phone call with "AFP": They did not grant me the visa to the United States after I applied for it in the Jordanian capital, Amman. They are ridiculous in their behavior. I am currently in Mexico and will watch a match for the Tunisian national team on June 14 in Monterrey against Sweden before returning home.

Barghouti confirmed to "AFP" that he also did not receive a visa to Canada, which is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with the United States and Mexico. He stated: Last time, the immigration department tried to reject my visa, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervened to find a solution, but this time we did not obtain it.

Barghouti accused Israel of exerting pressure to prevent him from obtaining visas, stating: Of course, the Israelis pressured. There are circles that do not want us to criticize Israel.

He added that he filed an objection with FIFA, emphasizing his insistence on the right to obtain an entry visa.

Barghouti participated in a FIFA conference last April in Vancouver, Canada, when he refused to participate in a group photo with an Israeli Federation official at the invitation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The Palestinian Federation filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against FIFA's refusal to impose sanctions on Israel due to the participation of clubs located in the West Bank in competitions supervised by the Israeli Federation.