New York, June 10 (IANS) Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit published an open letter on Wednesday, a day before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, calling on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to resign amid growing controversy surrounding U.S. immigration policies.

Recent days have seen a series of incidents involving teams and officials travelling to the tournament, with Iran’s national team forced to move its training camp to Mexico and several support staff denied visas. Somali referee Omar Artan was reportedly refused entry into the United States, Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was held for seven hours at Chicago airport, and team photographer Talah Salah was denied entry to the country.

The Senegal and Uzbekistan squads were also subjected to extensive searches upon arrival in the United States, while uncertainty remains over whether fans and journalists from countries affected by U.S. travel bans will be able to attend the tournament, reports Xinhua.

“I have stayed quiet for a long time because I wanted to judge this World Cup on football matters. But the deeper we get into the preparations, the more it becomes clear that football is no longer the main story. For that reason, I believe Gianni Infantino should seriously consider stepping down as FIFA President,” wrote Gullit, who earned 66 caps for the Netherlands and is widely regarded as one of the game’s greatest players.

“A World Cup should unite people. Instead, this tournament is becoming a symbol of division, political disputes, travel restrictions, and administrative failures,” he said.

“We are hearing reports that Iranian supporters have had their ticket allocations withdrawn. We have seen the case of Somali referee Omar Artan, selected by FIFA on merit to officiate at the highest level, yet reportedly denied entry into the host country. These are not minor issues. They strike at the heart of what the World Cup is supposed to represent,” he continued.

Gullit said FIFA could not speak about football as a universal game, “while qualified supporters, officials, and participants face barriers that appear unrelated to football itself.”

“The organisation’s first responsibility is to protect the integrity and accessibility of the competition,” he insisted.

He then launched a direct criticism of Infantino. “Leadership is not about appearing in photographs with politicians or celebrating commercial success. Leadership is about taking responsibility when things go wrong. That is why I believe Mr Infantino must ask himself whether he is still the right person to lead world football.”

“The football world deserves answers, accountability, and leadership. If those cannot be provided under the current administration, then perhaps the time has come for new leadership at FIFA,” he added.

Gullit concluded by saying the World Cup “belongs to the world, not to governments, political interests, or football administrators. It belongs to the players, the referees, and the supporters.”

–IANS

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