Visa pause sparks fears over 2026 FIFA World Cup turnout

More than a dozen 2026 FIFA World Cup-qualifying countries are on the list of some 75 countries for which the United States (US) has announced an indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing.

This year's FIFA tournament is tipped to be the largest ever, with 48 countries competing across Mexico, Canada and the US.

However, thousands of international sports fans have been left unsure if they will be able to watch matches in person after the announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Media reports suggest some 17,000 World Cup tickets have been cancelled 'overnight', leading FIFA to call an emergency meeting this week.

"Travel restrictions and uncertainty are certainly not good for the game and certainly not good for a FIFA World Cup," says Professor Michael Goldman of Sports Management at the University of San Francisco.

Goldman adds that part of the problem has been around messaging and a lack of clarity around exactly what Washington has decided to do.

"I think it's unfortunate that some of the reporting has lumped in immigrant visas and non-immigrant visa restrictions. To be fair, the Secretary of State has differentiated those."

There is still access to the World Cup for the fans of the listed countries, says Goldman, but with restrictions.

"There are increased processes," he says.

Cancellations could hurt the tournament’s hospitality sector, even if FIFA reallocates tickets to local fans.

Economists warn that the economic boost expected from the event may be smaller than previously predicted, and Goldman agrees.

"I think tourism estimates are likely to be a touch lower than we would have expected. I think those are some of the downstream implications."

To listen to Goldman in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, use the audio player below: