Russian Media, Pro-Kremlin Actors Cast US Travel and Ticket Restrictions as Undermining, Causing Chaos for World Cup

Key Finding

Pro-Kremlin actors online, including websites linked to pro-Russia Portal Kombat (PK) influence operation, shared reports about the U.S. denying entry to Somali referee Omar Artan for the FIFA World Cup and restrictions affecting Iranian players and supporters. They used these reports to portray the U.S. as “undermining” the tournament and starting it "on the brink of apocalypse."

Online Activity

• Russian state and pro-Kremlin media outlets shared reports about Artan's denied entry, highlighting that he would have been the first Somali referee to officiate at the World Cup. They portrayed the decision as the U.S. “undermining” and “humiliating” the championship and pushed claims that U.S. fans should feel ashamed. NewsFront, an outlet the U.S. government has linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service, also published reports on Artan.
• State media and pro-Kremlin outlets also pushed claims that U.S. entry restrictions, “outrageous” ticket prices, and organizational failures "have overshadowed" the World Cup. They highlighted reports of Iranian players facing visa restrictions and the revocation of ticket allocations for Iranian fans. The outlets also criticized Russia’s exclusion from the tournament while countries that “sponsor Ukrainian Nazis” participate.
• PK websites republished content from Russian state news outlets and pro-Kremlin Telegram channels, amplifying claims that the revocation of Iranian supporters’ tickets was politically driven rather than due to sporting principles. They also portrayed Artan’s denied entry as another “hostile step” toward Somalia.
• Pro-Kremlin accounts on Facebook, Telegram, and X echoed these reports, amplifying narratives that the U.S. was “humiliating African teams” and that the World Cup should not have been hosted in a country unable to guarantee entry for tournament officials.