The Trump administration told U.S. embassies and consulates that athletes, coaches and certain support staff associated with the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympic Games and other designated “major sporting events” would be allowed to travel to the United States, even as the administration maintains a visa ban aimed at citizens of nearly 40 countries, the Associated Press reported.
In the guidance cable sent to posts Wednesday, the State Department said the World Cup, the Olympics and Paralympics, along with other competitions covered by a detailed list, would be treated differently from a broader set of restrictions tied to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority, according to the AP.
The cable also drew a distinction between participants and other stakeholders. While athletes and related event personnel would be eligible for the exception, the State Department said foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors planning to attend the same events would still be banned unless they qualified for another exemption.
The AP reported that the cable said only a limited number of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics and other major sporting events would qualify. It quoted the cable’s language: “Only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics, and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” the AP said.
The visa restriction package described by the AP has been part of a series of immigration and travel bans and visa restrictions the Trump administration has issued while also seeking to ensure that athletes and coaches, and others tied to major events, can attend those competitions in the United States.
The AP said Trump’s Dec. 16 proclamation that banned issuance of visas to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority carved out an exception for athletes and staff competing in the World Cup, the Olympics and other major sporting events. The proclamation, the AP said, delegated to Secretary of State Marco Rubio the decision about which additional sporting events would be covered.
In Wednesday’s cable, the State Department described which competitions and qualifiers would fall under the exception. The AP reported that the list included “all competitions and qualifying events” for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan-American Games and Para Pan-American Games.
The cable also covered events hosted, sanctioned or recognized by a U.S. National Governing Body, and the AP said it included all competitions and qualifying events for the Special Olympics. It further said the exemption would cover official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by FIFA or its confederations.
According to the AP, the cable expanded beyond soccer and the Olympics to include official events hosted by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by a set of U.S. professional sports leagues.
The AP said the included leagues named in the cable ranged from major American leagues and tournaments to international motorsport and other organizations, listing the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, NASCAR and Formula 1, the Professional Golf Association and the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and LIV Golf. The AP also reported that the list included Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, World Wrestling Entertainment, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and All Elite Wrestling, and it said other events and leagues could be added to the list.
For the travel ban itself, the AP said a full ban applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and people with Palestinian Authority-issued passports.
The AP reported that a partial ban is in place for citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.