World Cup Travel Bans: What Trump's Foreign Policy Means for USA 2026

The 2026 FIFA World Cup faces a crisis unprecedented in tournament history: multiple nations that have qualified to compete may be unable to send their teams, staff, or supporters to the United States due to travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The situation has sparked international condemnation and calls for FIFA to take extraordinary action—including potentially expelling the United States as a host nation.

The travel ban crisis represents the most significant challenge to World Cup preparations since the tournament was awarded to the three-nation North American bid in 2018. With the tournament just months away, football's governing body faces a choice between enforcing its inclusive values and accepting a diminished, politically compromised competition.

Citizens from several countries that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup have been explicitly targeted by recent U.S. travel restrictions. The affected qualified nations include:

• Iran: Asian Football Confederation qualifiers; entry suspended under revived travel ban
• Syria: Historic qualification threatened by blanket entry denial
• Yemen: Despite qualifying, team faces inability to enter host country
• Venezuela: Enhanced visa scrutiny effectively preventing travel
• Cuba: Qualified via CONCACAF; travel restrictions remain in force

The restrictions extend beyond players to coaching staff, medical teams, federation officials, and supporters. Iranian federation sources have confirmed that even with FIFA accreditation, visa applications are being systematically denied or left in administrative limbo.

"Our players earned their place on the pitch. Now they face being excluded by politics. This is not the World Cup we qualified for."

The Trump administration's second term has seen a dramatic expansion of immigration and travel restrictions that directly impact World Cup participation. Key policy changes include:

• Revived Travel Ban: Expanded version affecting citizens from 13 countries, including four World Cup qualifiers
• Enhanced Vetting: "Extreme vetting" procedures causing months-long delays for applicants from Muslim-majority countries
• Diplomatic Ruptures: Withdrawal from international agreements affecting consular cooperation
• Visa Processing Slowdown: Deliberate slowdown in B-1/B-2 visa processing for targeted nations

See also: Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter joins those calling for boycott of World Cup in U.S.

For more on the Trump administration's broader foreign policy impact on international events, see our coverage of international sports relations under the Trump presidency.

The crisis has prompted formal political action in the United Kingdom, where a cross-party group of MPs has tabled an early day motion calling on FIFA to "consider all available options, including expulsion of the United States from tournament hosting, until such time as the country demonstrates its commitment to welcoming all qualified nations without discrimination."

The motion, signed by Labour, Liberal Democrat, SNP, and Green MPs, argues that "the spirit of the World Cup requires equal participation regardless of nationality, religion, or political circumstance." It notes that the 2026 tournament's original bid commitments included guarantees of open borders for all participants.

"FIFA awarded this tournament to the United States based on certain conditions. Those conditions are now being violated. The integrity of the competition is at stake. If the U.S. cannot host all qualified teams equally, it should not host at all."

FIFA finds itself in an impossible position. The organization's statutes explicitly prohibit political interference in football, yet the current crisis stems from the host nation's government policies rather than football federation actions. Potential responses include:

• Diplomatic Pressure: Using the threat of tournament relocation to negotiate exemptions with the U.S. government
• Venue Redistribution: Moving affected teams' matches to Canadian or Mexican venues not subject to U.S. entry restrictions
• Sanctions: Financial penalties or warnings to US Soccer Federation
• Expulsion: The nuclear option—removing the U.S. as host entirely (logistically nearly impossible)
• Compromise: Accepting a diminished tournament with some teams unable to participate

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has held emergency consultations with the State Department but has publicly maintained that "solutions are being explored" without committing to specific actions.

Behind closed doors, multiple contingency plans are being discussed:

Canadian/Mexican Redirection: The most viable option involves routing all affected teams through Canada or Mexico for their group stage matches. Both countries have confirmed they would not apply equivalent restrictions. However, this creates inequities in travel burden and tournament experience.

Diplomatic Exemptions: Negotiating special FIFA accreditation that overrides standard visa requirements—a system used for UN events but unprecedented for sports tournaments.

Delayed Relocation: Some officials have floated the possibility of moving the entire tournament to alternative hosts, though this faces insurmountable logistical and financial obstacles with the event so near.