Trump's visa bans stop fans from 4 countries from watching the 2026 World Cup in the US

Five months before the starting signal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the host United States finds itself at the center of an unexpected problem that has nothing to do with tactics or line-ups. The massive visa restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump are effectively blocking the travel of fans from at least four qualifying countries and putting FIFA in an unprecedented situation. The organization has already officially warned that "a match ticket does not guarantee entry to the host country".

The Trump administration made one important exception - for the participants in the tournament themselves. Players, coaches and part of the sports and technical staff are exempt from some of the restrictions so they can arrive and play. However, there is no such privilege for the fans. This is how a paradox is formed: the national teams will be able to set foot on American soil, but some of their most loyal supporters may remain in front of the TV.

On Wednesday, the State Department sent a telegram to all US embassies and consulates around the world. It specifies that athletes, coaches and accompanying personnel participating in the World Cup and other major sporting events fall into the group of people entitled to an exemption from travel restrictions, which cover 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority. However, the document explicitly underlines that "only a small part of those traveling for the World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major sporting events will meet the exemption criteria".

This means that foreign fans, a large part of the media and corporate sponsors formally continue to be subject to the bans, unless they qualify under other criteria. At the moment, a complete travel ban to the US applies to citizens of Haiti and Iran - both countries have already secured their participation in the World Cup. Partial restrictions also apply to Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, which are also among the participants.

"It is the United States that must provide the conditions, means and resources so that it is possible for everyone to travel and support their team for the qualifying countries," says Senegalese fan Pape Gueye, quoted by ESPN. He gives voice to the feeling of many African and Caribbean supporters, for whom the World Cup is a dream not only for their teams, but also for themselves as an audience.

Additional panic broke out this week when the administration announced that it was stopping the issuance of immigration visas for citizens from 75 countries. This list also includes some of the participants of the championship - Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Uruguay. The measure comes into effect on January 21 and initially caused a wave of concern whether it would even be possible for fans from these countries to travel to the US.

Later, publications such as "The Athletic" and other media clarified: it is about immigration visas - for people who want permanent residence in the US - and not tourist or business visas, needed by fans to attend matches. This means that supporters from these countries can still apply for tourist visas through the standard procedure. However, the problem does not disappear completely - in countries like Colombia and Morocco, the deadlines for an interview at the American consulates are already long, and the influx around the World Cup can extend them even more.

Against this background, FIFA included an unexpectedly important warning in its latest press release - the one with which it announced that over 500 million applications were submitted in the last ticket lottery. The organization urged fans to submit visa documents "as early as possible" and announced that ticket holders will be able to use a priority system for booking an interview at the visa services when it is activated in the coming weeks.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that people with tickets already purchased will be able to count on a visa interview being scheduled within "six to eight weeks" through the priority system. At the same time, he warned: "the ticket is not a visa and does not guarantee entry to the US". In other words - the fans can win in the FIFA lottery, but "burn out" at the visa counter.

The complex situation directly affects the players, through their fans. Côte d'Ivoire midfielder Yan Diomande admitted that he understands the difficulties faced by supporters from his country: "This is not their country and their attention is focused only on what is happening on the field." Behind these words lies the clear feeling that for many people political decisions are distant, but their consequences are painfully specific - a missed trip, an unfulfilled dream, empty seats in the sectors.

The World Cup is scheduled for the period June 11 – July 19 and will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Despite the three hosts, 78 of a total of 104 matches will be played on the territory of the United States in 11 cities, which makes American visa policy a decisive factor for the presence of an audience from dozens of countries.

For FIFA and the national federations, the challenge is no longer limited to stadiums, bases and logistics. In the coming months, they will have to explain to fans around the world that even with a ticket in hand and a love of the game, there is no guarantee that they will be able to see their favorite team live.