The World Cup has a Trump problem

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The World Cup starts this week, and the Trump administration is already creating problems. What’s happening? On Monday, BBC Sport reported that a Somali referee, Omar Artan, was not allowed to enter the US ahead of the World Cup, which starts on Thursday. Artan was set to be one of 52 FIFA referees for the tournament, which will run until July 19, and was reportedly turned away at the Miami airport despite a valid visa. Artan isn’t alone in his issues entering the country. Aymen Hussein, who plays for the Iraqi national team, was detained for “nearly seven hours” at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, according to Reuters, while an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry outright. Iranian players only received US visas at the last minute, while some team staff haven’t received them at all. Fans hoping to attend World Cup games in the US — particularly those from African countries — have also had problems securing visas to visit the US. How does the Trump administration figure in this? Donald Trump’s second administration has made hostility to all immigrants — and especially to non-white ones — a tentpole policy. Over the past six months, Mother Jones reported over the weekend, the US has admitted only white South Africans as refugees. In 2025, the administration also imposed a sweeping travel ban covering 39 countries, including Somalia, where Artan is from, and four countries — Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and Ivory Coast — that will compete in the World Cup. As the Washington Post reported on Monday, concerns about potential ICE operations around the World Cup are also increasing anxiety for some fans. What else should I know? The World Cup isn’t the only sporting event Trump is actively hindering. The president is in New York City today for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, featuring the New York Knicks (currently up 2-0 and riding high) against the San Antonio Spurs; his attendance is seriously cramping the party in Manhattan. And with that, it’s time to log off… Hi readers — I enjoy baking but don’t always do a great job making the time for it, so I enjoyed this reminder from NYT Cooking’s Genevieve Ko on the virtues of making a pie crust from scratch. If you want her recipe, you can access it here with a gift link (and with a hearty Logoff endorsement for strawberry-rhubarb as the best pie filling). As always, thanks for reading, have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!