Trump Administration Unveils World Cup Visa System with Entry Warning

By Staff, Agencies 

The Trump administration on Monday introduced a streamlined visa system ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026, which the United States will co-host. While the plan aims to prioritize ticket holders for visa appointments, the government cautioned that holding a match ticket does not ensure entry into the country.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that although the new system expedites interviews, all applicants will still be subject to standard vetting procedures.

“Your ticket is not a visa. It doesn’t guarantee admission to the US,” Rubio said. “It guarantees you an expedited appointment. You’re still going to go through the same vetting. We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue.”

The new system gives World Cup ticket holders priority in scheduling visa appointments, placing them ahead of others in line. However, with over one million tickets already sold, some non-American fans may still be denied entry despite faster processing.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino noted the scale of international interest, stating in the Oval Office, “we’ll have between five and 10 million people coming to America from all over the world.”

FIFA plans to sell between six and seven million tickets in total, with demand currently highest in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the tournament’s co-hosts. Nonetheless, ticket purchases have already been made by fans in 212 countries and territories.

To meet growing demand, the State Department has deployed more than 400 additional consular officers worldwide. In some locations, embassy staffing has doubled. According to Rubio, these measures have reduced wait times for visa appointments from over a year to less than 60 days in 80% of countries.

“In places, for example, like Brazil and Argentina, you would have [had] over a year to get an appointment. Now you can get [one] in less than two months,” he said.

Separately, Trump warned that he may push for FIFA matches to be moved out of cities he deems problematic. He singled out Seattle, scheduled to host six matches, and criticized its leadership.

“If we think there’s going to be the sign of any trouble, I would ask [FIFA President] Gianni [Infantino] move that to a different city. We have a lot of cities that would love to have it,” Trump said. “If we think there’s a problem in Seattle where you have a very, very liberal-slash-communist mayor … we’re going to move the event to some place where it’s going to be appreciated and safe.”

The US president also raised concerns about public safety in Los Angeles, another host city, and expressed a willingness to deploy the National Guard.

“I would love to send in [the] national guard, or whoever’s necessary to help them,” Trump said. “If there’s even a hint of a problem, we want to get in there before the problem. We want to make it totally safe for [Infantino] and FIFA and all the great people that are going to be there.”

Trump described the tournament as a significant event for the country, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” The United States previously hosted the World Cup in 1994. The 2026 edition, which kicks off next summer, will feature 48 teams, an increase from the traditional 32.