President Donald Trump’s latest declaration means fans from two FIFA World Cup countries could face restrictions when entering the United States for next summer’s tournament.
President Trump signed a proclamation extending his administration’s ongoing travel restrictions to 2026 World Cup participants Ivory Coast and Senegal. Soccer fans from two African countries could face stricter screening when entering the United States for next summer’s tournament.
As a result, the U.S. travel ban list now totals 39 countries, and a White House statement said Ivory Coast and Senegal will now be subject to “partial restrictions and entry restrictions,” the least restrictive category.
This can be compared to the other two World Cup participating countries on the travel ban list, Haiti and Iran, which are subject to the strictest possible restrictions.
read more: Ousmane Dembele wins FIFA award of the year as PSG star beats Lamine Yamal againread more: Gary Lineker earns millions in new World Cup contract as BBC pay plummets
The White House added that the decision to impose the ban was made due to visa overstay rates. For B1 or B2 visitor visas, which are required for traveling fans to enter the United States for the World Cup, overstay rates are about 4% in Senegal and 8% in Ivory Coast, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
President Trump’s declaration also lists athletes and diplomats from both countries as exempt from travel restrictions, as well as “people entering the country in the national interest of the United States.”
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Two of Ivory Coast’s three Group E games against Ecuador and Curaçao are scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and three games against Germany are scheduled to be played in Toronto, Canada.
Similarly, Senegal has two group stage games against France and Norway in New Jersey, with a third game in Toronto for the undetermined playoff winner. They will also be one of the U.S. men’s national team’s final warm-up opponents in a friendly agreed to be held next May in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In early December, the Trump administration’s World Cup Task Force, chaired by Andrew Giuliani, announced a fast-track visa system for World Cup participants.
The scheduling system is designed to push match ticket holders to the front of the visa interview line, but it remains unclear how the system will handle requests from countries affected by the travel ban.
The tournament has come under intense scrutiny months before its start date due to the exorbitant ticket prices FIFA charges for matches under its dynamic pricing model.
In response to the backlash, soccer’s governing body has released new World Cup sets with a fixed price of £45.
These will be allocated to participating member associations, including the English Football Federation, which will then be sold to members.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
