US will let FIFA Ticket Holders Skip the US Visa Line

FIFA PASS Moves Ticket Holders Up

If you have a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, you can now skip the long wait for a US visa interview. President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced the new system at the White House on November 17, 2025.

It is called the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, or FIFA PASS.

The idea is simple: prove you bought a ticket, and you move to the front of the line at US embassies worldwide. But getting an appointment faster does not mean you are guaranteed to get in.

Ticket Holders Jump the Queue

FIFA PASS works by giving World Cup ticket holders access to a separate pool of visa interview appointments.

Instead of waiting behind everyone else at a US embassy, fans with confirmed tickets can request a priority slot through a dedicated system run jointly by FIFA and the State Department.

The service launches in early 2026, and FIFA will send details directly to ticket holders. You still need to apply through the normal channels, but your wait time shrinks significantly.

400 Extra Officers Head to Embassies

The State Department is not just reshuffling appointments.

It has sent more than 400 additional consular officers to embassies and consulates around the world to handle the expected surge in applications.

Before this move, some countries had visa wait times stretching past a year. Now, about 80 percent of travelers can get an interview within 60 days.

That is a big change for fans who need to book flights and hotels months in advance.

Priority Does Not Mean Approved

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made one thing clear at the White House announcement: a World Cup ticket is not a visa. It does not guarantee you will be allowed into the United States.

Every applicant still goes through the same vetting process as any other tourist. The only difference is timing.

You get your interview sooner, but you still have to qualify. Rubio said officials will check backgrounds the same way they always do.

Some Countries Skip Interviews Entirely

Not everyone needs to go through the interview process.

Travelers from about 40 countries in the Visa Waiver Program can enter the US using ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. You fill out an online form, pay a fee, and get approved in minutes.

Countries like the UK, Germany, Japan, and Australia are on the list.

If you hold a passport from one of these places, FIFA PASS does not apply to you because you already have an easier path.

Iran and Haiti Fans Cannot Enter

Two countries that qualified for the 2026 World Cup are on President Trump’s travel ban list: Iran and Haiti.

Their players and coaches can enter under a special exemption for athletes at major sporting events, but regular fans cannot. Iran qualified in March 2025, and Haiti ended a 51-year drought by making the tournament.

Their supporters will have to watch matches in Canada or Mexico, where no travel ban exists, if they want to see their teams play in person.

First 48-Team Tournament in History

The 2026 World Cup is the biggest ever. FIFA expanded the field from 32 to 48 teams, which means 104 matches instead of the usual 64.

The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and spans three countries for the first time. Mexico hosts the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Canada and the US follow with their own openers the next day. Sixteen cities across North America will see World Cup action.

Eleven US Cities Host 78 Matches

The United States gets the bulk of the tournament, with 78 of the 104 matches.

Eleven cities made the cut: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.

AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, hosts the most games at nine.

The venues range from NFL stadiums to the brand-new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which also hosts the 2026 Super Bowl just months before the World Cup kicks off.

MetLife Stadium Hosts the Final

The championship match takes place on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The venue sits across the Hudson River from Manhattan and serves as home to both the New York Giants and New York Jets. FIFA announced the final location in February 2024.

MetLife has hosted Super Bowls, major concerts, and international soccer friendlies. It holds about 82,500 fans, and every seat will be full for the biggest game in soccer.

Up to 10 Million Fans Expected

FIFA President Infantino estimated that between 5 and 10 million people will travel to the United States for the tournament. That would make it the most-attended World Cup in history by a wide margin.

Over 6 million tickets will be available across all 104 matches. The sheer scale explains why the US government rolled out FIFA PASS.

Without a system to speed up visa processing, millions of fans would have faced impossible wait times and missed the tournament entirely.

$17 Billion Boost to US Economy

The numbers go beyond ticket sales. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization projected that hosting the 2026 World Cup will add $17. 2 billion to the US economy.

The tournament is expected to create 185,000 full-time jobs, from stadium workers to hotel staff to restaurant employees. Cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and Dallas are already preparing for the influx.

For local businesses, the five weeks of matches represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

The Clock Is Ticking for Visa Applicants

Trump urged fans to start the visa process now, not later. The tournament is seven months away, and even with FIFA PASS, interviews take time.

Consulates can only process so many applications per day. If you wait until spring, you risk missing the window.

The State Department kept passport operations open even during the recent government shutdown, signaling how seriously officials are taking the deadline.

For millions of fans worldwide, the race to the World Cup has already begun.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• The US passport has lost its elite status; now worth as much as Malaysia’s
• Why US universities are becoming must-see stops for curious travelers
• The states where dark sky parks are transforming rural tourism under the stars