In the past, World Cup hosts have tried to give FIFA what they want – and that includes easier access for officials and supporters.
The same has been the case with the two most divisive World Cups in Russia and Qatar.
In fact, Russia positively rolled out the red carpet in 2018, eliminating any visa requirements.
To prove that they were traveling for football, all supporters needed a valid passport and a personal card known as a ‘Fan ID’.
In Qatar, fans were required to have a Hayyya card – serving a dual purpose as a pre-screened travel entry document and an entry pass to the games.
This is not the case in the United States, with claims that barriers have consistently prevented fans from traveling.
“You should welcome fans from all over the world,” Thomas Concannon, who leads the FSA’s England fans group, told BBC Sport in April.
“And I think at this stage, fans couldn’t feel any less welcome.”
It is not as if Trump has inherited this tournament from any other administration. It was endorsed and supported by his presidency, with the intention of launching a bid a few months after he took office in 2017.
What has changed is the broader scope of immigration action.
Trump is happy to praise the glitz and glamor of the World Cup, but it will not distract from that main objective.
It’s not just Artan who can’t enter the United States. Supporters from Iraq, who are not on the sanctioned list, have told how they have given up trying to enter the country.
Meanwhile, Iran on Tuesday said that the allocation of tickets for the group stage has been canceled due to the decision taken by the US authorities.
It seems clear that this Trump administration has put immigration above anything else – including this World Cup.
The next test will take place on Sunday, when Iran is scheduled to fly over the United States for the first time.
Iran has accused the US of denying visas to 15 “integral” members of its backroom staff.
Teams are allowed to fly in and out of the country from Tijuana, Mexico, within 24 hours of each match – but this has not yet been tested.
If a team can’t get into its own game, it would be another unprecedented turn of events.
Fair Powar said, “We have never seen so many World Cup coaches, team operations, fans and even senior administrators within FIFA member associations subjected to so much questioning and boycott.”
“The disruption is such that one has to ask who is running the World Cup. Is it FIFA or is it the US government with its racist-charged immigration policies?”
Since FIFA cannot bring all of its referees into the country, control appears to lie with the US government.