'A World Cup For Them, Not Us': FIFA Fans Hit Out At US Travel Restrictions

For football supporters, a World Cup is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to follow their national team on the biggest stage. Yet for many fans hoping to attend this summer's tournament in the United States, the challenge has not been securing match tickets but obtaining permission to enter the country.

Supporters from several eligible nations say visa restrictions, travel bans, and high rejection rates have left them feeling excluded from an event that is supposed to bring the world together.

Iraqi fan Abdulla Adnan is among those whose plans have collapsed despite spending large sums of money in pursuit of a visa. Others from Africa and the Middle East have expressed frustration over regulations they believe unfairly target certain nations.

While US authorities insist security checks are necessary and that visitors from around the world are welcome, many supporters argue the barriers have undermined the spirit of a competition built on international participation.

Fans Face Costly And Complicated Visa Obstacles

When Iraq qualified for the World Cup at the end of March, Abdulla Adnan quickly bought tickets for his country's matches against Norway and France in Boston and Philadelphia. For him, attending the tournament represented far more than simply watching football.

'To go to a match, a stadium, a crowd, cheering, and see my team, that is worth the world to me,' he said. 'It's a feeling that no other feeling can compare to.'

However, obtaining a visa proved impossible. Following the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, routine US consular services in Iraq were suspended because of security concerns. As a result, Iraqi applicants could no longer attend visa interviews within their own country.

Adnan travelled to neighbouring Jordan in an attempt to secure a visa but was told that, as he was not a Jordanian citizen, the embassy there could not process his application. By that point, he had already spent around £1,300 on tickets and travel.

He considered applying in Turkey but decided against it because the process could take up to two weeks, which would require a lengthy stay away from home. Eventually, he abandoned his efforts altogether.

Supporters from several other nations say they have encountered similar barriers. President Donald Trump's travel restrictions affect citizens from Haiti, Iran, Senegal, and the Ivory Coast, all of which qualified for the World Cup. Citizens of those countries are unable to receive the visitor visa type recommended by US authorities for tournament attendees.

The restrictions have prompted criticism from fan groups. Julien Kouadio Adonis, from the Ivory Coast's National Committee for the Support of the Elephants, argued that African nations were being treated unfairly.

'It's a form of segregation that doesn't dare speak its name, but the proof is there,' he said.

His organisation usually sends supporters to World Cups, but decided not to pursue travel to the United States because of the regulations. Adonis also questioned whether a country unwilling to welcome supporters from participating nations should host the tournament.

'Football is a spectacle and a spectacle needs people watching,' he said.

Supporters Question Whether The Tournament Is Truly Open To All

Many fans point to wider issues within the visa system. Citizens of 42 countries benefit from the US visa waiver programme, allowing them to apply online through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation for approximately £30. No African nations are included in that scheme.

Fans from countries requiring visas must pay around £137 and attend an in-person interview. Applicants are also expected to demonstrate their intention to leave the United States after their visit and show they can cover the costs of their trip.

Although US authorities later removed the proposed £11,000 deposit requirement for ticket holders from several qualifying African nations, concerns remain.

Aliou Ngom, a supporter from Senegal who attended the previous World Cups in Qatar and Russia, said one of the tournament's greatest attractions is seeing different cultures unite in one place. Yet he felt there was little point in applying for a visa after seeing previous difficulties experienced by Senegalese visitors.

Data from the US State Department showed that citizens from 11 qualified nations faced visa rejection rates above 40% during the year ending September 2025. Those countries included Algeria, Cape Verde, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Jordan, Senegal, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Immigration lawyer Celine Atallah acknowledged that FIFA's special pass system could help supporters secure faster interview appointments. However, she stressed that it offered no advantage in actual approval decisions.

'The visa system is the invisible gatekeeper of the World Cup,' she said. 'Fifa can sell a ticket, but the US government decides who gets a visa, and CBP decides who actually enters.'

Jordanian supporters have also voiced frustration. Abu Kass, who heads Jordan's football fan association, said his own visa application was rejected despite presenting more than 42 supporting documents during his appointment in Amman.

'This World Cup is not ours,' he said. 'It's not for Arabs this World Cup, it's for them. If the head of the fan association was refused, who will be accepted?'

US officials reject suggestions that fans are being deliberately excluded. A State Department spokesman said the administration was 'prepared to welcome visitors from around the globe for the largest and greatest Fifa World Cup in history'. The department added that every application undergoes a thorough review to ensure applicants pose no security risk.

Nevertheless, for supporters who have already spent money, travelled abroad for appointments, or seen applications rejected without explanation, those assurances have done little to ease concerns. As the tournament approaches, many fans believe the world's biggest football event is becoming increasingly difficult for people in some parts of the world to access.