Whenever Donald Trump comes into power, things start to happen. Well, in the latest news, the football world is worried that US visas for the FIFA World Cup 2026 might be harder to get.
According to the international media, there is some sort of tension building up regarding visas.
Donald Trump’s New Rule
In recent news developments, the administration of Donald Trump has regulated strict rules along with the long visa processing time in some countries.
This long gap to get the visa and also travel around the US to watch the game might just impact the tournament negatively.
In a tournament that runs from 11th June to 19th July, the USA will be hosting 78 matches, and there will be fans to watch the games in huge numbers.
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Possible Changes in Visa Processing
Visitor visa processing has risen to 600 days in some countries, which has created doubts for fans. In Colombia, the average wait time is 670 days, 450 days in Mexico, and 404 days for Indian applicants.
With less than 14 months before the whistle blows, fans are still confused as to when they should apply for their visas.
US Travel Association President Views
As the news of the visa issues has come up, the president and chief executive of the US Travel Association, Geoff Freeman, said that you will need to have your visa today if you want to watch the FIFA World Cup.
“If you don’t have your visa today, you’re not getting here for a World Cup that’s taking place in 2026.”
Interestingly, the US State Department has been talking differently. They confirmed that there is still enough time for the fans to apply for visas.
They were also keen to state that the US would love to have football fans come to the States and watch the game they love.
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FIFA World Cup 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the 23rd edition of the tournament. A tournament that runs for just over a month will have three North American countries hosting the tournament.
The main hosts for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the USA, while the auxiliary hosts will be Mexico and Canada. A total of 48 teams will be part of this World Cup, which is the first in itself.
The USA was handed the hosting rights when they defeated the bid of Morocco in the final vote at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow.
For the first time in 24 years, the FIFA World Cup will be hosted by more than one nation.
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