As drenched Senegal supporters celebrated their Africa Cup of Nations victory in Morocco, many immediately turned to the World Cup opener on 16 June at New Jersey Stadium — the same venue slated to host the final. But while members of Senegal’s large diaspora in France will be able to travel, fans who hold only Senegalese passports will be barred from entering the United States.
Senegal and Ivory Coast were added in December to a US travel ban list introduced under the Trump administration. Singom Dadji Ngam, a Senegalese fan and social media figure, called the decision excessive, saying the team cannot perform without its supporters and that the most committed fans, who follow qualifying matches closely, are precisely those affected.
The US administration says the restrictions, milder than rules applied to some other countries, respond to high overstay rates on B1/B2 visitor visas — roughly 4% for Senegal and 8% for Ivory Coast — and point to shortcomings in screening and vetting. In addition to those two African nations, fans from Haiti and Iran face even stricter travel limits. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also on the blacklist but could still reach the tournament via playoffs. Players and coaching staff have been granted exceptions; ordinary fans have not. A separate recent suspension of immigrant visas for people from 75 countries also names Senegal, Ivory Coast, Haiti, DR Congo and Iran.
Other qualifying teams worry they could face similar scrutiny. Colombia and co-host Mexico have been subject to recent US attention, and Denmark — which has tense ties with the US over Greenland — could be vulnerable if it advances to the knockout rounds hosted in the US (Denmark’s group-stage matches are in Mexico).
FIFA has offered limited assistance, reminding supporters that holding a match ticket ‘does not guarantee admission to a host country’ and noting it received around 500 million ticket applications from all 211 member associations. That reassurance does little for fans who have already invested time and money following their teams. One Senegal supporter told DW his country should consider a boycott in protest, arguing that if fans are not welcome, neither should the team be: ‘We are the strength of these competitions. Without spectators, there is no sport, there is no entertainment.’
Cost is another major hurdle. Aside from a small allocation of low-priced tickets, World Cup prices are reportedly about five times higher than in Qatar 2022. Football Supporters Europe estimated that, excluding the limited reduced-ticket tranche, fans would face paying nearly €7,000 (about $8,000) to secure tickets for all of their team’s matches from the opening game to the final. An Ivory Coast supporter said football should be accessible to everyone and condemned the disparities, calling the travel restrictions ‘disgraceful’ and saying they are ‘killing football.’
Supporters and advocacy groups say the combination of travel bans and steep costs risks excluding the very fans who make international tournaments vibrant, and they are demanding clearer, fairer policies before the World Cup begins.