The United 2026 World Cup bid has faced some questions in recent months due to the potential effects of a travel ban, but leadership recently reached out to FIFA in an effort to ease those concerns.
According to the AP, President Donald Trump and his administration have guaranteed FIFA that there will be no discrimination around entry to the U.S. as part of the 2026 World Cup. Questions about a potential ban have been raised throughout the bidding process with a recent independent report saying there could be “some potential discrimination in relation to travel restrictions for some citizens from certain states.”
“All eligible athletes, officials and fans from all countries around the world would be able to enter the United States without discrimination,” the U.S. government told FIFA in a letter last week.
On Tuesday, Mexico Football Federation President Decio de Maria gave a speech in Brussels, referencing the letter while further relaying the idea that all would be welcome.
“Our three governments have provided the strong guarantees we need, including so that entry will be safe, reliable and convenient for every player and every fan,” De Maria told the International Sports Press Association Congress.
“Just as it did for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the United States government has stated that it intends to issue visas, subject to U.S. law ‘without regard to race, skin color, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, language, religion.or sexual orientation,’” De Maria added.
The Unified Bid now forecasts 2026 the tournament would generate a $14 billion in revenue for FIFA if held in North America, far surpassing the record $5.7 billion in revenue in the four-year 2014 World Cup cycle.
Even with the travel ban (which I’d be surprised is still out there post-Trump), the U.S. remains one of most accessible big nations in the world. Political grandstanding abound here.
Not if you’re from one of the countries on the travel ban list.
Its a bunch of bull!!!! Look in mirror FIFA.
This is who we are now, a racist country no better than Qatar or Russia. The shame.
Settle down little fella. The world is not out to get you.
I know most of y’all treat Rob like a troll, but given current events today, should non-American entities really be expected to count on the US to keep its word?
No, don’t buy it. I’ve seen instances where athletes coming here for international competitions were turned away or denied visas if there were concerns about criminal history, finances, or risk they wouldn’t leave. And that’s when I think there is an explicit visa for athletes to attend such events. What about fans? What if Iran makes the tournament? Any of the muslim ban countries? North Korea?
Granted, the reality is that by 2026 Trump is out of office, it’s simple math. But the vote will take place this summer at Peak Jerk.
It’s insane to me the amount of people who are hoping for or arguing that Morocco should win the bid. Get over yourself and root for the Good Guys (N America) to win the bid. Geez
Morocco has hosted the club world cup twice. They are a viable candidate. That is not nuts. I think we/Mexico/Canada have nicer facilities, but part of what you are selling is not just facilities but the idea of a pleasant destination. We have wandered down a road of certain ideas and policies that are on their face intended to send a message we aren’t sticking out the welcome mat.
While I welcome what we did to FIFA I also think we are underestimating the potential for backlash. I think that plus our executive attitude makes for a political vote against us. Like I said below, any amount of rah rah cheerleading won’t fix that. If you want it fixed you’d have to do a dramatic shift in policies in a month and change the image we are giving off.
I don’t think Morocco’s bid is our equal. it doesn’t matter.
So now this is about good guys vs bad guys?
Who is supposed to decide that? Personally, I think Morrocco would hold a wonderful event and deserve to be in the conversation. You accuse those who are pro-morrocco of being for the bad guys , but you sound extraordinarily arrogant which is about par for the course these days in the states, and exactly the reason why morrocco might win.
IV: I never thought I’d see the day that your logic is on par with Lil’ Bobby’s. This Trump hysteria is blinding you. Every media elitist believes Trump will be gone by 2020, if not earlier through impeachment. FIFA is simply trolling our country because they don’t like how Trump carries himself and wants to tighten up our borders. Neither FIFA nor any voting member actually believe that the US would not let in fans from Iran or North Korea. But you’ve bought into the argument…
Simple math is 2016 + 8 max years = 2024, and 2026 > 2024. Ergo, he could be re-elected and not impeached and serve out two terms, and in any possible case he is out of office by 2024 and the tournament is not until 2026. In that sense I am slightly agreeing that anti-Trump feelings might be an unfair distortion.
HOWEVER, a committee awarding a bid has to act on present information, they cannot necessarily forecast how things might change 2024-2026, and the present picture, to foreign countries, is not pretty. I am pro-American. It doesn’t matter. Rah rah cheerleading does not fix our perception and practical problems.
I’ve seen stories the past few years of Indian and other athletes turned down for Visas to IOC type events, Olympic sport world championships on our soil, because of their finances or other notions that they might not leave afterwards. It’s not fake news. it happened, teams had to make multiple applications for visas or send someone else.