Fact-checking claims that Senegal’s football team were treated like ‘criminals’ at US airport

About this episode

The episode fact-checks claims regarding the treatment of Senegal's football team at a US airport amidst World Cup preparations.

Kicking off this Thursday, the 2026 FIFA World Cup has faced its share of criticism before it has even begun. A viral video has sparked fresh backlash, appearing to show members of Senegal's national team being searched with metal detectors on the tarmac of a US airport. Online, some users have claimed the players were being "treated like criminals" and pointed to the footage as evidence of "unapologetic racism". A widely shared photo also appears to show the team's coach undergoing the same screening. But what do these images actually show?

Topics covered

• football
• World Cup
• racism
• fact-checking
• Senegal national team

Keywords

• Senegal
• football team
• US airport
• racism
• FIFA World Cup
• fact-checking

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: FIFA

Places: Senegal, US

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