FIFA
Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is increasingly lined with digital checkpoints as the United States government tightens its borders. For the first time, the FIFA World Cup is hosted by three countries: Canada, Mexico, and the US, but fans and athletes will probably have a harder time securing entry to the US.

Millions of football fans are expected to watch the FIFA World Cup. However, the US has been stringent in opening its doors to foreigners, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its component agency, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), proposing a five-year social media history as amongst the new requirements for those applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) visa.

Proposed Mandate for ESTA Visa

Bricktop_NAFO took to X (formerly Twitter) and claimed that the United States' ESTA Visa mandate applies to those planning to fly to the country for the FIFA World Cup. Those planning to apply for the ESTA visa should prepare to share a five-year social media history, including their email addresses.

'Please understand, not even the Nazi party requested personal information off people attending the Olympic games they hosted,' the tweet read.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has formally proposed the new requirement to the ESTA process and deemed it mandatory rather than optional. The initiative stems from Executive Order 14161, which President Donald Trump signed in January 2025. The order demands that foreign nationals be 'vetted and screened to the maximum degree' before entry.

The scope of the data collection is not limited to public posts. CBP will also collect email addresses spanning a 10-year period and phone numbers from the last five years.

'Stadiums Are Gonna Be Half Empty'

The announcement has received intense reactions, with many predicting it will backfire. One believed that with the US tightening its borders from potential guests, the 'Stadiums are gonna be half empty'. Another said this move 'effectively kills [the] World Cup US tourism', predicting ticket prices to drop.

A number also wondered why FIFA isn't pulling the World Cup out of the US, when they can relocate the games to Canada and Mexico. The X user is convinced both countries will be glad to host it.

Meanwhile, some advised others to just skip the FIFA World Cup this time. 'Seriously—everyone just stay away. It is not safe here', @FellaBoston commented. 'And let's face it, the only way to get anything through the thick skulls of our government officials is to reduce revenues. Everything else fails.'

The rate of Australian tourists visiting the US has also dropped following the announcement that a five-year social media history will be required in the visa processing. Jonathan, who was born in the US and has family and friends in the country, said he would not be flying to his birth country anytime soon, despite his initial plan to travel for the FIFA World Cup.

'The whole thing disgusts me and is horrifying, frankly', he told the Guardian. 'While I think I would be protected as a citizen, my son and my wife are not US citizens. My son was really excited to go and he was really sad when I told him we wouldn't go—but now I feel validated.'

Trump Defends Extreme Vetting For National Security

President Trump has remained steadfast in his support for the measures, dismissing concerns that the rules will damage the lucrative tourism industry. When asked about the potential economic fallout, the president doubled down on keeping borders tight, so only the right people will be granted entry.

'We want to make sure we're not letting the wrong people into our country', he said.

The administration maintains these steps are necessary to identify individuals who might harbour hostile attitudes, a step to keep Americans safe. The US Travel Association and other industry groups, however, have warned that this extreme move could cost the country billions of dollars in revenue.

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