These scenes come at a time when the World Cup build-up is plagued by numerous crises, including the denial of entry to top Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, severe visa delays for teams like Iran, soaring ticket prices, and warnings over extreme heat and storm disruptions in the US.
However, taking to Instagram to address the mounting speculation and “misleading headlines,” the former Ballon d’Or winner was firm in his stance. He argued that the protocols are no different from those experienced by regular travellers, albeit conducted in different locations to accommodate elite athletes.
“I saw photographs on the front pages of the newspapers showing the searches we were subjected to at the airport, as members of the Uzbek national team. I’ve also seen misleading headlines, so I’d like to set the record straight,” Cannavaro wrote. “These were routine, standard checks. People don’t realise one thing: when World Cup national teams travel, they don’t go through the airport terminals like ordinary travellers, but are taken directly to the tarmac in buses reserved for the teams.”
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