The United States (US) and FIFA have drawn sharp criticism after reports emerged that players from Senegal and Uzbekistan faced intense security screenings upon arriving for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Members of the Senegal national team were reportedly subjected to detailed bag inspections directly on the airport tarmac in San Antonio. Uzbekistan’s squad also faced drug-sniffing dogs and metal detector checks upon arriving at their training venue in New York.
Images and videos of the screenings spread rapidly across social media, triggering widespread outrage among football fans who accused American authorities of treating international footballers like criminals rather than guests at one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Many users also directed their anger at FIFA, accusing the governing body of staying silent while players from certain countries faced what they described as humiliating treatment.
The reaction on social media carried an additional edge, with several users questioning whether screenings were applied selectively.
“Did any white teams get treated like this, or is this treatment reserved for Senegal? Bizarre,” one user wrote.
“Why are they being treated like criminals,” one user added.
Neither FIFA nor US authorities had issued any response to the criticism.
