The temporary closure of the US Embassy in Jordan has deepened the frustration of Jordanian football supporters hoping to travel to the United States for their nation’s first World Cup appearance in June. The embassy site now states that “all immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are canceled until further notice,” leaving many fans uncertain about their plans.
The shutdown, linked to attacks involving US-Israeli and Iranian actors that made headlines last Friday, has compounded existing visa problems. DW spoke with several Jordanian fans who say some had already been refused visas for the tournament — despite Jordan playing all three group games on US soil — while many others remain waiting or have paid thousands of dollars for tickets and travel without answers. They say they want clarity from the US government and from FIFA.
FIFA did not respond to requests for comment. The organization has previously avoided taking responsibility for national visa policies, pointing supporters toward the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS) offered to ticket holders. When FIFA launched the service in November, president Gianni Infantino described it as part of making the tournament “the greatest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history.”
Fans say practical obstacles are mounting. FIFA opened a surprise 48-hour ticket window at the end of February after earlier saying it had sold out, and more ticket batches are expected before the June 11 opener. For Jordanians without tickets, that means either buying tickets and risking visa refusals or missing out; those with tickets but no visas may face losses on resale.
“We were waiting for this dream to come true. I pursued every possible way to go and support our team, but the visa procedure is really tough,” said Mahmoud Obaidat, a Jordanian fan. He described the uncertainty created by ticket lotteries and visa rejections: “I applied for a visa three months ago and got rejected.”
Others are still awaiting decisions. Ghazi Al Samouee, leader of the Ultras of Al Ramtha SC and listed among fans eligible for applications via the Jordan Football Association, appealed for intervention. “The dream of seeing our national team in the World Cup is here, but with heavy hearts, we ask for help from the US Embassy to look closely at the Jordanian fans’ applications. We applied, but we didn’t hear any answer until now. Our applications are stuck there.” The Jordan FA declined to comment when contacted.
Jordan is not subject to the blanket travel bans affecting some other nations whose fans face outright bars on travel. However, earlier this year the US suspended processing immigrant visas from 75 countries — including Jordan — citing concerns about immigrants collecting public assistance. While that suspension does not directly apply to short-term World Cup visas, it has strained perceptions of how US authorities view applicants. Some fans said embassy staff have expressed doubts that visitors would return home after the tournament.
Visa obstacles and high ticket costs mean many World Cup stadia may be populated largely by diaspora communities already in the United States rather than traveling supporters. Jordan’s matches in California and Texas are likely to see sizable contingents from expatriate communities, but many in Amman hope for wider solidarity: “We, as Jordanians, are hoping to get support from Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinians who live in the USA to cheer for our team, as the Jordanian diaspora is not very large there,” said former Jordan international Mohammad Khair, who noted fans’ frustration with the lack of clarity.
For Jordanians denied the chance to attend, watching their country’s World Cup debut from home will be a bitter disappointment, especially after the excitement of qualifying last year.
Dana Sumlaji and Sami Jarwan contributed to this report.
Edited by: Chuck Penfold