Two high-profile figures — a Somali referee and the DR Congo's iconic superfan — were denied entry to the 2026 World Cup; the referee was blocked due to alleged terror organization associations, the superfan's visa was rejected. Reports also indicate that some World Cup officials faced similar denials on security grounds, though specific details remain limited. The post frames these as evidence of bias against African participation, but conflates security vetting (applied to individuals based on background checks) with hypothetical racial preferences toward European visitors — these are separate mechanisms with different causes. The post omits that visa denials at major sporting events are standard security procedures that apply regardless of continent, though the referee's denial is a legitimate criticism of who gets excluded from refereeing opportunities.