US President Donald Trump has rolled out a fresh round of travel restrictions affecting dozens of countries during his second term, which began in January 2025, raising questions ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The measures include full and partial travel bans, as well as the suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries. Eight of the affected nations — Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Uruguay — have qualified for the World Cup.
However, the suspensions do not apply to tourist visas, meaning football fans from the affected countries can still travel to the United States for the tournament. In addition, exemptions allow a limited group of travellers, including athletes, coaches and officials, to attend major sporting events.
As a result, countries under full bans such as Iran and Haiti will still be able to send their national teams and support staff to the tournament. Senegal and Ivory Coast are also listed under partial travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, FIFA confirmed record demand for tickets, revealing that fans from all 211 member associations submitted requests between December 11 and January 13. The world football body said it received an average of 15 million ticket requests per day during the application window.
FIFA cautioned, however, that possessing a match ticket does not guarantee entry into host countries — the United States, Canada and Mexico — urging fans to check visa requirements early and apply promptly.
