Haiti, Iran, Senegal, Ivory Coast make World Cup 2026 — but fans face U.S. travel ban

Their Teams Qualified, But They Cannot Go

The 2026 World Cup kicks off June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Fans hailing from Iran, Haiti, Ivory Coast, and Senegal may be unable to travel to the US for the games due to travel restrictions currently in place. The players can go.

The coaches can go. But the people who cheer for them, who paint their faces and wave flags and fill stadiums with noise, are locked out.

These restrictions effectively bar those who do not already have visas from traveling to the US to watch the World Cup.

And since 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches take place on American soil, that means most of the action is off-limits.

Haiti Waited 51 Years for This

Haiti earned a 2-0 win against Nicaragua in November 2025 to secure direct qualification for only their second World Cup appearance ever, ending a 51-year drought since Germany 1974.

Fireworks cracked over Port-au-Prince and crowds poured into the streets as Haiti erupted in a rare moment of national unity.

The celebration happened on the anniversary of a pivotal 1803 battle that led to Haitian independence.

For a country experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, football provides a rare source of unity and collective joy. Then came the news that most fans would never see their team play in person.

Every Haiti Game Is in America

Haiti plays Scotland in Boston, Morocco in Atlanta, and Brazil in Philadelphia. All three group stage matches are scheduled for US cities.

Unlike Senegal and Ivory Coast, who have at least one game in Canada, Haiti has no escape route.

There is not a travel ban in place in Canada and Mexico, meaning fans from partially restricted countries can attend matches in those locations. But Haitian fans have no such option.

Every match requires entry to the United States, and the full travel ban blocks tourist visas entirely.

340,000 Haitians in the US Lose Protection

The timing could not be worse. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem terminated Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, and TPS benefits will no longer be in effect starting at 11:59 p.m. on February 3, 2026. The Trump administration is ending TPS for roughly 350,000 Haitians.

That means Haitians who have lived and worked legally in the US for years will lose their status months before the World Cup begins.

With the White House not ruling out immigration enforcement actions at World Cup games, some newly undocumented Haitian fans may face a risk by watching their team play in person.

Iran Boycotted the Draw in Washington

Iran decided to boycott the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington because the US denied visas to members of its delegation, including federation president Mehdi Taj.

The draw ceremony took place December 5 at the Kennedy Center.

The Iranian Football Federation had announced it would not participate after three members of its seven-person delegation were denied US visas.

With new approvals secured by the Trump administration, head coach Amir Ghalenoei and other officials were able to attend. But the initial standoff signaled the tension ahead.

Senegal and Ivory Coast Added in December

Senegal and Ivory Coast were added in December to the list of countries with partial restrictions on entry to the United States.

Both nations qualified for the World Cup, and both have passionate fan bases that travel everywhere their teams play.

Fans cheering for the two West African teams at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco were dismayed by the restrictions.

One Senegal supporter told reporters that if the American president wants to block certain countries, they should not have agreed to host the World Cup in the first place.

Senegal Fans Get One Shot in Toronto

Senegal plays their third group match against an intercontinental playoff winner in Toronto. That single game in Canada offers fans from Senegal a chance to see their team without needing a US visa.

Ivory Coast fans can attend their second group stage match against Germany, which is also being held in Toronto. France plays Senegal in New York on June 16.

For that marquee matchup against a European powerhouse, most Senegalese fans will be watching from home.

Players and Coaches Are Exempt

The Trump administration identified a host of athletic competitions where athletes and coaches will be allowed to travel to the US despite the broad visa ban.

The December proclamation specifically carved out exceptions for World Cup participants.

However, the cable made clear that foreign spectators, media, and corporate sponsors planning to attend the same events would still be banned unless they qualify for another exemption. So the teams will compete.

The fans just will not be there to watch them.

FIFA PASS Jumps the Visa Line

FIFA World Cup 2026 ticket holders traveling to the United States are now eligible for the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, called FIFA PASS.

The program gives fans with tickets priority access to visa interview appointments at US consulates. The FIFA PASS is meant to streamline access to visa appointments, not act as a fast-tracked entry document.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they will do the same vetting as anybody else, but move ticket holders up in the queue. For fans from banned countries, the fast lane leads nowhere.

400 Officers Deployed for Visa Surge

The US government assigned over 400 additional consular officers worldwide to help handle anticipated demand from World Cup applicants.

With an estimated 5 to 10 million international visitors expected to travel to the US for the World Cup, fans may invest thousands of dollars in tickets, flights, and hotels long before securing permission to enter the country.

The State Department urged anyone planning to attend to apply as early as possible. But for nationals of the 39 countries on the ban list, early applications will not help.

150 Million Requests in Two Weeks

Over 150 million ticket requests have been submitted by fans from over 200 countries, meaning the FIFA World Cup 2026 is oversubscribed over 30 times.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that in the almost 100 years of the World Cup, FIFA has sold 44 million tickets in total, so in two weeks they could have filled 300 years of World Cups.

Category 1 Final tickets reached $6,730, more than four times the price charged at Qatar 2022. Record demand, record prices, and for fans from four qualified nations, no way in.

Few Options for Locked-Out Supporters

Unless an exception is made for the duration of the World Cup, many of these teams will be forced to play with reduced crowd support, as only US nationals from those countries would be allowed to attend.

Fans with dual citizenship from non-banned countries can still travel. Those with valid visas issued before the bans took effect may enter.

One Senegal fan wearing a lion mask said he can travel to the US because he also has French citizenship, but he will not go as a matter of political conviction. For most others, the stadium seats will stay empty.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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