Sports
Donald Trump Plan For Fans Attending World Cup Labelled ‘Chilling’
A statement has been released as Donald Trump’s ‘chilling’ new plan for fans attending the 2026 World Cup has been revealed. The US president has consistently threatened to throw the whole tournament into chaos, and with fewer than six months left until 48 nations travel to the USA, Canada, and Mexico, the controversies don’t stop.
Trump has taken on the role of main character throughout preparations for next summer’s showpiece event, already making headline news for things like pushing his transgender policies in an awkward exchange with the Juventus men’s team during the Club World Cup, being awarded the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize, and having 19 countries on his travel ban list – many of them qualifying for the tournament.
It is the last of that series of controversies that has cropped up again, as the White House leader has revealed dystopian-style entry plans for those wanting to attend matches in the USA. The Trump premiership has also already spoken about taking hosting rights away from cities it deems dangerous, and it now seems their security measures have been taken too far.
Trump Reveals ‘Chilling’ New Plan For 2026 World Cup Visitors
Tourists from dozens of countries, including the UK, could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new proposal unveiled by American officials, according to the BBC. The new condition would affect people from countries who are eligible to visit the US for 90 days without a visa, as long as they have filled out an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form.
The proposal says “the data element will require ESTA applicants, external to provide their social media from the last 5 years”, without giving further details of which specific information will be required, which has raised concerns about digital rights, the right to an expression of freedom, and the right to privacy.
As well as the collection of social media information, the new document proposes the gathering of an applicant’s telephone numbers and email addresses used over the last five and 10 years respectively, and more information about their family members. The text cites an executive order from Trump in January, titled “Protecting the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats”.
Statement Released in Opposition of Trump’s Plans
The plan to require supporters travelling to the United States for the World Cup to disclose information about their social media accounts has been described as “profoundly unacceptable”.
Ronan Evain, the executive director of Football Supporters Europe, told The Guardian: “The US government’s announced plans are profoundly unacceptable. Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are universal human rights. No football fan surrenders those rights just because they cross a border.
“This policy introduces a chilling atmosphere of surveillance that directly contradicts the welcoming, open spirit the World Cup is meant to embody, and it must be withdrawn immediately.”
FIFA were sent a letter by Human Rights Watch, with Gianni Infantino called into question over his decision to award Trump with the first-ever ‘FIFA Peace Prize.’ The sycophantic gesture appears to have overlooked how little the president has actually “united the world”, with his anti-tourism rules making travel to the States increasingly more fraught.
