Sports
Senegal & Ivory Coast World Cup Fans To Be Hit By Donald Trump Travel Ban
United States President Donald Trump has issued a new proclamation which means that fans from four nations who have qualified for the 2026 World Cup might no longer be able to attend.
The build-up to next summer’s tournament has been marred in controversy, with Trump issuing an initial travel ban back in June. 12 countries were subjected to complete bans, while an additional seven nations faced partial bans which placed limits on specific travellers.
So far, 42 nations have qualified for the competition out of a total of 48 competitors, with the remaining spots in the group stage set to be decided by a mixture of European and inter-federation play-offs. However, supporters from four nations hoping to attend next summer could find themselves barred from entering the country, with two nations added to a new travel ban list in Trump’s latest announcement.
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Senegal and Ivory Coast Among Those Hit by New Trump Ban
On December 16th, Trump’s new ban expanded restrictions placed on nationals from countries which, in the eyes of the White House, had “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing.” As well as continuing to restrict full access for 12 countries, 15 new nations were subjected to partial restrictions and entry limitations, including Senegal and Ivory Coast.
The status applies to immigrants and non-immigrants, including the visitor category for business and tourism, with the latter needed in order to attend the World Cup. While exemptions are provided for athletes, support staff and immediate relatives, supporters travelling for the tournament will not receive the same chance.
Elaborating on why both countries have been subjected to bans, Trump and the White House have stated that nationals from the Ivory Coast have an overstay rate of 8.47% when travelling on a business or visitor visa. Senegal, as a point of comparison, had a rate of 4.3% in the same category, while it also had a rate of 13.07% in student and cultural exchange categories.
Fans from the two countries are now in the same position as those from Haiti and Iran. The two nations were included in the initial ban back in June.
White House Had Warned of Potential New Bans
The new bans come just a week after Andrew Giuliani, the executive director for the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, admitted that more travel bans could be made for the competition so that it is a safe spectacle. He said: “First and foremost, safety and security is the No. 1 thing when it comes to this World Cup. Every visa decision is a national security decision. That’s key to highlight.
“The president, even in his restricted countries order, still gave an exemption to players, direct support staff and to immediate family for those countries on the list. So specifically, Iran and Haiti right now would still be able to compete while understanding that we want to make sure that this is a safe and secure World Cup.
“I probably won’t comment any more in terms of what countries he could be considering or would not be considering.”
