Football

Who is the FIFA World Cup for? The question may seem surprising, yet it appears utterly legitimate just days before the launch of the 23rd edition of this flagship event in world football. This year, the matches will take place across three countries: Mexico, Canada and the United States. Millions of fans typically travel to watch the games in stadiums – in 2022, in Qatar, 3.4 million people attended the matches, according to FIFA. This year, Donald Trump’s immigration policy deprives thousands of people of the event.

BBC journalists gathered testimonies from several football supporters who did not obtain visas to the United States. As the World Cup kickoff on Thursday, June 11, 2026 approaches, thousands are barred from entering American soil. In many cases, it is the visa issuance restrictions set by Donald Trump that are to blame.

Citizens of these countries have no chance of attending the World Cup live

For supporters of the Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and Ivory Coast teams, all represented in this World Cup, a trip to the United States is almost impossible. Since his re-election, Donald Trump has issued travel bans or pushed for a reduction in the number of visas issued to these countries. “It’s a form of segregation that does not name itself,” says Julien Kouadio Adonis, a member of the Ivorian fans’ association.

European fans, meanwhile, will probably have no problem entering the territory. If they are nationals of one of the 42 countries worldwide that have an agreement with Washington to enter the United States without a visa, they only need to pay the 40-dollar ESTA travel authorization. No African country is on this list. And only three Middle Eastern countries are on it: Brunei, Israel and Qatar.

A World Cup among nationals from wealthy countries?

In countries where it is possible to apply for a visa to the United States, the criteria are particularly restrictive. Applicants are usually required to prove they have thousands of euros in their bank accounts and a return ticket to their country of origin. In May, the administration announced that a simple ticket to attend the matches would be enough to apply for a visa — instead of the usual cash deposits. But the announcement arrived far too late to meet the processing times of local embassies, and this despite the FIFA Pass principle, intended to speed up the process.

Finally, some foreign nationals have faced another problem: the absence of U.S. consulates or embassies in their country. Since they must undergo a prior interview to obtain a visa, this lack of diplomatic representation effectively prevents them from setting foot in the United States. This particularly affects Iraqi fans. Washington is usually represented in Baghdad, but it has suspended its consular activities since the beginning of the conflict with Iran, rendering it impossible to grant visas to local football fans. The Iranian team is nonetheless qualified for the competition for the second time in its history and the first time since 1986.

In some cases, foreign supporters can turn to matches held in Canada or Mexico, which are less restrictive. But even there, a portion of visas is refused and the issue of consular representation also arises. And that’s without mentioning the price of tickets for this World Cup. Due to dynamic pricing and resales, prices reach record highs. According to RMC Sport, the current record stands at 17,199 euros for the group-stage match between Spain and Uruguay.