Supporters of the Senegalese and Ivorian national football teams could be prevented from attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the imposition of a new travel ban by the administration of former US President Donald Trump.
New Restrictions Target Multiple Nations
The White House announced the updated policy on Wednesday 17 December 2025. It places partial restrictions and entry limitations on citizens from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, two African nations qualified for the tournament. They join fellow World Cup participants Haiti and Iran, who face the most severe category of restrictions.
The Trump administration justified the move by citing high overstay rates for tourists on B1/B2 visitor visas. Official figures indicate an overstay rate of 4 per cent for Senegal and 13 per cent for Côte d’Ivoire. Authorities also pointed to concerns over "widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records" in the affected countries.
Athletes Granted Exemption, Fans Left Out
The presidential proclamation explicitly exempts athletes and their essential staff from the rules. The statement confirmed exclusions would apply to "any athlete or member of an athletic team, including the coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event."
However, this exemption does not extend to ordinary fans, meaning thousands of supporters could miss the event co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which begins on 11 June 2026.
Expanded List of Affected Countries
The latest update significantly expands the scope of the travel ban, affecting over 20 countries in total.
Countries facing full-entry restrictions now include:
- Palestinians holding Palestinian Authority passports
- Burkina Faso
- Mali
- Niger
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Laos (moved from partial to full restrictions)
- Sierra Leone (moved from partial to full restrictions)
An additional 15 countries were added to the partial restrictions list:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Political Context and Lasting Impact
The government stated the rules would remain until "credible improvements" are made in information sharing and cooperation with US immigration authorities. These changes form part of a broader, increasingly controversial immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has also included ICE raids and a pause on pending green card and citizenship applications for certain nations.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had previously hinted that extensive measures were necessary to safeguard against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. The policy echoes the controversial travel ban first introduced by Trump in 2017, which was upheld by the US Supreme Court after legal challenges.
The announcement follows the recent arrest of an Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard troops near the White House, an incident that has heightened security concerns. The 2026 World Cup, one of the globe's largest sporting events, now finds itself at the centre of a major international immigration policy debate.
