Off-field battlefield: The shadow of visa diplomacy overtakes the World Cup > News

At the core of this situation is a serious operational imbalance that occurred when the United States denied entry visas to key personnel of the Iranian national team, which has military tensions with the United States. Athletes participating in the competition were allowed entry into the country as an exception, but the association president and key staff, who were responsible for leading the team and providing administrative support, were unable to cross the threshold. After many twists and turns, 10 of the 15 rejected attempted to reapply, but only 4 received approval, and the remaining officials, including Mehdi Taz, head of the Iranian Football Association, never set foot on American soil. This is not only an act that destroys the strategic stability of the team, but is also evaluated as a direct violation of the principle of fairness that should be the basis of competition operation.

A more serious problem than physical entry refusal is the ineffective ‘mobile camp’ suffered by the Iranian national team. Iran, which originally planned to set up a base camp in the United States, had to move its base to Tijuana, Mexico, near the border, due to the aftermath of the war. As a result, the players are exposed to extreme fatigue as they have to travel back and forth between Mexico and the United States repeatedly each time they complete the group stage schedule. The stay restrictions that require players to return to Mexico immediately after the game are a clear disadvantage compared to other countries preparing for the game in a stable environment. These environmental disadvantages have a fatal negative impact on athletes' conditioning and seriously undermine the fairness of the competition.

What is even more deplorable is the irresponsible attitude of FIFA, the International Federation of Football Associations, which is ignoring this situation. Former President Sepp Blatter even took the stand and called for FIFA's obligations, emphasizing the two basic principles of the World Cup, 'guaranteeing safety and unrestricted entry', but the current executive branch has virtually done nothing. The incident in which referee Omar Artan, not only from Iran but also from Somalia, was denied entry into the country on the vague grounds of suspicion of being involved in a terrorist organization, is a clear example of how political logic is eroding the universality of soccer. While FIFA remains silent, claiming political neutrality, it is difficult to avoid criticism that the World Cup is being reduced to a political tool to confirm the diplomatic influence of the host country rather than a sports festival.

Meanwhile, in this World Cup, apart from political issues, the light and dark sides of the soccer powerhouses are also clearly divided. The Brazilian national team is facing the crisis of its worst performance in history under enormous pressure to win the title for the first time in 24 years, and is struggling to rebuild the team under coach Ancelotti. As the coach said, Brazil is under more pressure than the president, and between the thirst for results and pessimistic public opinion, Brazil continues an uphill battle to regain its former glory. In this way, this World Cup, where the desperate struggle for victory intersects on the field and political conflicts such as visa issues outside the field, clearly reflects the complex light and dark sides of sports.