According to the Associated Press, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub was denied a US visa and was unable to travel to the US to watch the FIFA World Cup.

According to the Associated Press, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub was denied a US visa and was unable to travel to the US to watch the FIFA World Cup. He is currently stranded in Mexico City after watching the FIFA World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday.

The Associated Press reported that Rajoub, like other football association officials, held relevant documents, but the US authorities did not issue him an entry visa, preventing him from continuing to watch the matches.

Rajoub told the Associated Press: "I don't think it's fair to use, abuse, and deprive all football people around the world of their right to come and watch the matches."

This situation contradicts what FIFA President Infantino said last year. Infantino had then guaranteed: "Everyone is welcome to Canada, Mexico, and the United States to watch next year's FIFA World Cup. We are working in that direction."

However, as the controversy surrounding Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan's rejection of entry after arriving in the US fermented, Infantino's tone changed slightly on Wednesday. He stated: "We are not the masters of the world who can dictate to governments and police forces and make laws. We are just a sports organization." He also said that FIFA is working to find solutions to these visa issues. Last September, the Palestinian President was also denied a visa by Washington when he tried to attend the UN General Assembly.