2026 World Cup: Visa backlog could keep teams and fans locked out of US
US officials have raised concerns that visa backlogs may prevent overseas football fans and even teams from attending the men’s 2026 World Cup.
Wait times for interviews for business and tourism visas exceed 330 days at 18 US embassies and consulates, the LA Times reported.
With tickets for the World Cup not expected to go on sale until late 2025, many non-American fans will have just six months to secure permission to visit the States.
“It’s going to be a massive problem,” said David J Bier, the associate director for immigration studies at public policy think tank the Cato Institute. “There’s no one paying attention to this at all.”
Politicians are calling for the Trump administration to prioritise clearing the visa waiting list in order to ensure the 2026 World Cup lives up to Fifa’s promise that it will be “the most inclusive ever”.
“I am deeply concerned that there does not seem to be an appetite for making sure that the State Department is funded and prepared and focused on this issue,” said congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
“It is untenable that we would not surge resources to make sure that we have the right folks in the right places.
“They need to facilitate these interviews and get these visas to those who are trying to enter our country for legitimate reasons.
“It will be unacceptable that we allow our country to fail at putting our best foot forward for the World Cup.”
US and Fifa scotch 2026 World Cup visa fears
The 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, is expected to attract 6m visitors and is just one of seven major global events the US is staging in the next decade.
The 2028 Olympics is taking place in Los Angeles, while Fifa’s first expanded Club World Cup is set to be played in the US this summer.
A spokesperson for the US State Department said it was “committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.”
Fifa played down concerns, saying: “It is worth noting that the incoming administration [was] in office during the successful bid process for 2026, and signed the government guarantees as part of that process.
“We continue to work with various departments and agencies of the US government to ensure the US can capitalize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to tap into billions of dollars in positive financial benefits and goodwill, and bring millions of people from different nations and communities together to celebrate in the United States.”