2 min readJun 10, 2026 01:02 PM IST Fabio Cannavaro and his Uzbekistan squad were stopped and searched by security officials on Monday evening upon arrival for a pre-tournament warm-up match against the Netherlands, in footage that has drawn widespread criticism of the United States’ hosting of the 2026 World Cup. Video broadcast by ESPN in Central America shows the entire Uzbekistan coaching and playing staff being made to step off their team coach and submit to searches by security personnel bearing metal-detecting wands. Bags and equipment were placed in a pile on the floor outside the vehicle. A sniffer dog and its handler were present throughout. The incident is not isolated. Footage of the Senegal national team receiving similar treatment on the tarmac after landing in the United States has circulated online. Somalian referee Omar Artan has been denied entry to the country entirely and will be unable to participate in the tournament. Cannavaro, Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain and Ballon d’Or winner, took charge of Uzbekistan earlier this year after the central Asian …