Idman.biz
Representatives of five countries participating in the 2026 World Cup will have to pay a deposit to obtain US visas.
According to Idman.Biz, citing "The Athletic", the difficulties are due to the current US Visa Bond pilot program.
This program requires citizens of 50 countries entering the country on business or tourist visas to pay a deposit of between $10,000 and $15,000, which will be refunded upon departure from the US before the visa expires. The list of countries covered by the program includes Algeria, Cabo Verde, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, whose national teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup. The rules will also apply to Tunisian citizens from April 2.
It is noted that, as indicated in the text of the program, no exceptions are provided for certain categories of citizens, including participants in international sports tournaments. The football federations of the countries covered by the program have expressed concern about the situation; the issue was discussed last month at the WC-2026 preparation seminars.
According to reports, FIFA is currently trying to persuade the Trump administration to make concessions for players, coaching staff and staff of the WC-2026 teams, as well as federation leaders and key sponsors. FIFA wants official invitations to delegations to be the basis for a waiver of the deposit. If the US authorities grant FIFA a concession, it is expected that the concession will only be granted to national team members, while players' families and fans will still have to pay the deposit.
