Mabil 'relieved' his family stayed home as World Cup safety fears mount before opener

Australia winger Awer Mabil has said he is relieved his family chose not to attend the 2026 World Cup, citing safety concerns and the logistical burden of travel, as the tournament prepares to kick off with Mexico facing South Africa on Thursday evening.

“This time, it was last-minute to organise a lot of things so it was better for them to stay at home,” Mabil said. “Also the travelling would be tough for my mum and my little siblings to travel in and out. I didn’t want that headache for them. To be honest, also, it’s probably better for me because I can be at peace knowing my family’s OK, they’re watching the game at home.”

The build-up to the tournament has been overshadowed by a series of security and logistical incidents. Iran were forced to relocate their training base to Mexico due to the country’s ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel. Both Senegal and Uzbekistan were subjected to rigorous checks following their arrivals, while Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the country despite having been officially appointed to officiate at the tournament.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed the concerns at a press conference on the eve of the tournament, defending the organisation’s handling of the Iran situation and the visa process. “I’m very happy because I went to see myself the Iranian team in Turkey in March and people were saying it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup,” Infantino said. “I promised them that they would come.”

On the visa difficulties affecting some travelling fans and officials, Infantino acknowledged the system had not worked smoothly for everyone. “We have been able to organise with the American administration the FIFA pass system — a speedy process which I’m told is working, maybe not working always with everyone,” he said. Regarding Artan’s denied entry, Infantino conceded: “Of course it is unfortunate what happened to Omar, the referee from Somalia, but again, we don’t control everything.”

Mabil and Australia open their Group D campaign against Turkey on June 14, before facing the United States and Paraguay in their remaining group fixtures.