As preparations advance for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, concerns are emerging about the impact of travel restrictions on the event. Meg Kane, Executive Director of Philadelphia’s world Cup host committee, stated that organizers are mindful of potential challenges stemming from immigration policies, including those enacted in the past.

Kane highlighted the complexities of planning an international event amidst a shifting global landscape. “There are things that happen at the local and global levels, and there will be political issues that we do not know yet will affect the tournament next year, so we realize that we are in conditions surrounded by instability,” she said.

The FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, will be hosted across 16 venues in the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada. The tournament will feature an expanded format of 48 teams and a total of 104 matches.All games from the quarter-finals onward will be held in the U.S., with the final match taking place at the “Mettlif” stadium in New Jersey.

Alex Lasri, CEO of the Organizing Committee in New York and New Jersey, emphasized the meaningful role of political factors in major sporting events. “Whether the Olympic Games, the World Cup, Superbull, or whatever named, political geography has a big role for the event,” said Lasri.

Countries Facing Entry Restrictions

“There are things that happen at the local and global levels…we realize that we are in conditions surrounded by instability.”

A previous travel ban barred citizens from the following 12 countries from entering the United States:

• Afghanistan.
• Myanmar.
• Chad.
• Republic of the Congo.
• Equatorial Guinea.
• Eritrea.
• Haiti.
• Iran.
• Libya.
• Somalia.
• Sudan.
• Yemen.