Mexico City, June 11 -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the governing body's approach to visa-related challenges ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, insisting that FIFA cannot dictate immigration decisions to sovereign governments and urging critics to remain patient while solutions are pursued behind the scenes.

Speaking at a pre-World Cup press conference in Mexico City on Wednesday, Infantino addressed concerns surrounding the denial of entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been selected to officiate at the tournament and was set to become the first referee from Somalia to work at a FIFA World Cup.

A United States official said Artan was refused admission after arriving in Miami from Istanbul because of an...