By Desire Emmanuel
The 2026 World Cup may have been handed another serious obstacle to overcome after fans from 15 competing nations had their visa applications frozen by President Donald Trump of the United States.
This year’s World Cup will hold between June 11 and July 19.
The US State Department released an internal memo on Wednesday that directed consular officers to deny visas from 75 different countries while the department reexamines procedures for screening and vetting applicants.
However, among those 75, 15 are due to compete in this year’s World Cup tournament across the US, Mexico and Canada – including one of the biggest football countries in the world, Brazil.
Other countries that qualified for the World Cup and are affected by the visa ban are Algeria, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Jordan, Senegal, Tunisia, Uruguay, Morocco, Haiti and Uzbekistan.
Dramatically, three of the four teams in Group C are affected by the visa chaos, with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti all included on Trump’s list. The fourth team is Scotland.
That could mean emptier stadia for all of group-stage matches involving those countries.
The State Department is expected to implement the indefinite freeze on January 21, and the football governing body, FIFA, is yet to speak on how fans of those countries will come to cheer their teams.
The memo sent out on Wednesday directs consular officers to deny visas applicants who will need to rely on public benefits upon entry to the US.
Officers are also instructed to weigh a variety of factors for applicants, including health, age, and English proficiency.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,’ State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” he added.
