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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