Reactions intensify to the US visa restrictions affecting 2026 World Cup fans, with Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae lamenting potential absence of supporters and calls growing to strip US hosting rights amid boycott suggestions.
Building on FIFA's recent clarification that match tickets do not guarantee entry and urging early visa applications via the new FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS), concerns over the Trump administration's January 14 pause on immigrant visas from 75 countries—including World Cup qualifiers like Algeria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, and Uruguay—continue to mount.
Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae, speaking during a team camp in Marrakech, highlighted the festive spirit of the tournament: "It’s a celebration, football is a celebration, and for me, it would be a real shame... not to let our supporters come and experience this celebration." Captain Franck Kessie added that the Ivorian Football Federation and government would push for fan access, with Fae optimistic based on a prior resolution for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The backlash has escalated, with comparisons to the 1986 World Cup when Colombia was replaced by Mexico over financial disputes. German politician Jürgen Hardt floated a boycott as a "last resort," while UK broadcaster Jeff Stelling called for relocating the tournament to Britain. Broader US geopolitical moves, like threats to annex Greenland, have fueled the debate. However, experts deem revoking US hosting rights—145 days before the June 11 kickoff—improbable due to massive logistical commitments for the 104-match event across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
