Fans heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States face a stark new warning from the White House: Immigration agents may carry out raids targeting supporters inside or around stadiums, and fans from some countries will be barred from attending.
Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House task force on the World Cup, told British newspaper The Times that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations at games had not been ruled out and that supporters deemed a “potential threat” would not receive visas.
Giuliani’s comments collide with President Donald Trump’s past promises that World Cup fans would be able to enter the U.S. “without discrimination.”
Why It Matters
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest in history, expanding to 48 teams and stretching across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. U.S. organizers and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expect millions of international visitors, with estimates showing between 5 and 7 million fans heading specifically to the United States.
The tension between marketing the World Cup as welcoming while tightening migration rules has fueled growing concern among human rights groups, civic organizations and city leaders that the “beautiful game” could unfold under a cloud of aggressive immigration enforcement.
The latest warning from Giuliani raises the stakes further for immigrant and Latino communities in host cities and for fans from countries already hit by U.S. visa bans or long wait times, who now face the prospect of being shut out of the tournament or being swept up in raids while it’s underway.
What To Know
Trump has repeatedly sold the tournament as an economic and soft-power triumph. He recently told the White House World Cup task force that the event would be “the biggest, safest and most extraordinary soccer tournament in history.”
However, the U.S. president’s travel ban blocks ordinary fans from a string of countries—including Iran and Haiti—and imposes severe restrictions on several more, even as it carves out exemptions for athletes and staff at “major sporting events” such as the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
Giuliani, the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told The Times that fans from Haiti and Iran—whose national teams have already qualified—would be barred from attending the World Cup because their countries appear on a list of 19 nations facing a total visa ban.
Trump is expected to expand that list to 30 countries following the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on November 26, potentially preventing supporters from other qualified teams from traveling as well, according to The Times.
On Friday, the U.S. is set to host the World Cup finals draw in Washington, D.C. Iran has announced that it will boycott the event after the U.S. refused visas to several members of its delegation, including federation president Mehdi Taj.
“The decisions taken have nothing to do with sports,” an Iranian federation spokesperson told state television while announcing that its delegation would skip the event.
Giuliani told The Times that “every visa is a national security decision first and foremost” and drew a sharp line between visitors he said were welcome and those he labeled threats: “If you are a potential threat, you’re not going to get approved. … If you’re coming here to enjoy, spend your disposable income, enjoy the United States of America, you’re welcome.”
What People Are Saying
Andrew Giuliani, the head of the World Cup task force, told The Times when pressed on whether the White House would rule out ICE raids at games: “The one thing, and I’ve known the president for 25 years, the president has not ruled out anything that will make American citizens safer.”
Minky Worden, the director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, wrote in a Newsweek op-ed: “When these millions arrive to cheer one of 48 country teams, they may find themselves interrogated, detained, or even denied visas for their social media posts.”
What Happens Next
Friday’s World Cup draw, where the qualified teams will be placed into 12 groups of four, is scheduled to take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The White House World Cup Commission, created by DHS, is now moving into high gear. The commission is tasked with providing “specific, actionable, timely, strategic and targeted” advice to the executive director of the task force as agencies and private partners finalize security and logistics for what is expected to be one of the most complex sporting operations ever held in the United States.
With Giuliani refusing to rule out raids at World Cup fixtures themselves, the question for FIFA, host cities and fans is whether federal agencies will heed calls to ensure stadiums stay clear of high-profile enforcement sweeps, or whether millions of visitors will watch the world’s biggest sporting event under the shadow of Trump’s immigration crackdown.
