US Visas Disrupt World Cup Travel
US visa restrictions and consular delays are disrupting travel plans for some World Cup supporters, creating anger among fans who have bought tickets but cannot secure permission to enter the country. The issue is affecting supporters from several qualifying nations, with travel bans, tighter restrictions and high rejection rates complicating access to matches hosted in US cities.
Iraqi supporter Abdulla Adnan bought tickets for his country’s matches against Norway and France in Boston and Philadelphia, but has been unable to obtain a visa. Routine US consular services in Iraq were suspended after the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, forcing him to travel to Jordan for an appointment. He was told there that the embassy could not process his application because he was not a Jordanian citizen, leaving him out of pocket after spending about $1,800 on tickets and travel.
The barriers extend beyond Iraq. Four World Cup countries, Haiti, Iran, Senegal and Ivory Coast, are affected by US travel bans or tighter visa restrictions, limiting access to the visitor visa recommended for fans. Supporters from poorer countries also face a sharper divide: 42 largely wealthier countries qualify for the visa waiver programme, while no African country is included.
High refusal rates add another obstacle. Visa rejection rates exceeded 40% for citizens of 11 qualified countries, including Ecuador, Egypt, Haiti, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, Jordan, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana and Senegal. Fifa Pass can speed up interview appointments for ticket holders, but it does not improve the likelihood of approval.
The tournament’s travel promise is therefore uneven. Canada and Mexico have separate systems, but 78 of the 104 matches, including the final, will be played in the US. For many fans, the World Cup is no longer just a question of tickets, flights and hotels; it is a test of whether global sport can remain globally accessible when border policy decides who gets to join the crowd.