Four 2026 World Cup countries—Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, and Senegal—also appear on President Donald Trump’s travel ban list. While Haiti and Iran fall under “full suspension” rules, Ivory Coast and Senegal are under “partial suspension,” with an exception in t
The 2026 World Cup is set to arrive in the United States with a new twist: games will be spread across three countries for the first time, including on host-country soil where U.S. immigration rules can be far stricter for some visitors than for others.
A total of 104 matches are scheduled across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The U.S. is set to be the tournament host for a second time—its previous hosting came in 1994, when the final was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and Brazil beat Italy in penalties.
This year’s tournament also comes with an expanded field. There will be a record 48 teams.
Yet even as the World Cup’s mission—similar to the Olympics—is to bring countries together. politics and conflict still shadow who can travel where. That tension shows up directly in President Donald Trump’s travel ban list. which traces back to his first term when he announced his first travel ban in 2017.
At that time, the proclamation prohibited people from certain countries from entering the United States. Since then, the list has been expanded multiple times, and it now includes 39 countries viewed as a threat to the U.S.
For the 2026 World Cup, four of the participating nations are on the ban list: Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
Haiti and Iran are listed as “full suspension,” a classification that prohibits both immigrants and nonimmigrants from entering the United States. Ivory Coast and Senegal are placed under “partial suspension,” meaning that the “entry of immigrants and certain classes of nonimmigrants is suspended.”
The key reason players and staff are still able to travel is a specific carveout in the proclamation. Section 6(b) includes an exception for “athletes, coaches, support staff, and immediate relatives traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting events.”
The sequence is clear: the travel ban list covers countries viewed as threats. but the World Cup—like the Olympics—creates a narrowly defined pathway into the country for teams and their people. In practice, that leaves the same flags on the field while the immigration categories behind the scenes remain sharply divided.
2026 World Cup Trump travel ban Haiti Iran Ivory Coast Senegal U.S. immigration policy section 6(b) proclamation athletes coaches support staff
So basically the games are “open” but only if you’re the right kind of person?
Idk why they even call it a ban when athletes can still go. Seems like loopholes all day. If Iran is on it then why are they even in the cup… like what’s the point?
Wait, Haiti and Iran are full suspension but “partial” still lets some people in? That sounds like they’re picking favorites by random paperwork. Also the article says section 6(b) is the exception but I feel like rules always get weird at the border anyway.
This is just more proof politics is ruining everything. They should just let everybody in no matter what country, period. Plus 104 matches across 3 countries? How are they even tracking who can enter when? I’m sure it’ll turn into a giant mess at every stadium.