A meeting between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump has resulted in FIFA World Cup ticket-holders receiving prioritized visa interviews, according to FIFA.
Monday’s announcement outlined a new FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS), aimed at making the process for acquiring visas for the tournament as smooth as possible, and hopefully boosting international attendance for the 2026 World Cup in the process.
A stricter approach to immigration and deportations by the Trump administration in 2025 has led to public questioning of the wisdom in holding soccer’s preeminent tournament in North America, as had been previously scheduled.
The World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities, welcoming 48 teams to compete (expanded from 32).
“The United States is set to welcome fans from around the world on an unprecedented scale, and we are preparing to ensure that football unites the world when the tournament kicks off in North America next June,” Infantino said in a statement.
Demand for tickets has seemingly not been dampened by immigration concerns, with over a million tickets sold during FIFA’s first rollout in October.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added, “The United States is offering prioritized appointments so FIFA World Cup fans can complete their visa interviews and show they qualify. The kick-off is coming up, so now is the time to apply. We’re honored to host the greatest and safest World Cup in history.”
(Reuters)