Q24N — The United States government announced that visas for fans wishing to attend the 2026 World Cup will be thoroughly reviewed.
According to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, all applications will go through a rigorous process, although she emphasized that visitors are welcome.
President Donald Trump added that some countries will have a “very easy” time and others “a little more difficult” in obtaining permission.
This announcement comes amid growing immigration tensions: the United States maintains policies of deportations, revocation of permits, and frequent raids. Added to this is the lack of a system equivalent to the “Fan ID,” which allowed simplified access for fans in previous World Cups.
This suggests that, despite the declared openness, access to the tournament could become a challenge for many international fans.
World Cup organizers and local authorities have already expressed concern about how these measures will affect the influx of foreign fans and resident migrants.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. It will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in the United States (the main host country), Canada, and Mexico.
The 2026 edition will be the first to include 48 teams, expanded from 32. As the host nations, Canada, Mexico, and the United States all automatically qualified. Argentina is the defending champion, having won its third title in 2022.
Interestingly, Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte is the largest of the 16 venues, with a capacity of 87,523, while Toronto’s BMO Field has the lowest capacity with 28,180.
Source link
Rico
