World Cup boycott calls grow as Trump travel bans block fans

Trump Travel Bans Spark World Cup Boycott Calls

Two days after Senegal lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Morocco, their fans are grappling with the reality that they cannot follow the Lions of Teranga to their World Cup opener against France in New Jersey this June. The newly crowned African champions are among several nations whose supporters face travel restrictions to the United States under policies implemented by the Trump administration.

The bans, which cite high visa overstay rates and “screening and vetting deficiencies,” have ignited a growing controversy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.dw

Travel Restrictions and Political Fallout

Senegal and Ivory Coast were added to a list of restricted nations in December 2025, joining Iran and Haiti under stricter travel limitations. The U.S. government attributed the partial bans to overstay rates of approximately 4% for Senegal and 8% for Ivory Coast on B1 and B2 visitor visas.sportbible

While players and coaching staff have been granted exemptions, fans remain excluded. “This only impacts Senegalese individuals holding just a Senegalese passport, who are the most dedicated supporters during all the qualifying matches,” Singom Dadji Ngam, a Senegalese fan and social media influencer, told DW during AFCON.dw

The Trump administration also announced an indefinite visa freeze on people from 75 countries on January 14, though a U.S. State Department official clarified to the Mirror that this “applies to the issuance of immigrant visas only, and does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourists, athletes and their families.”sportbible

European Politicians Float Boycotts

The travel restrictions have coincided with Trump’s threats over Greenland, prompting European politicians to discuss unprecedented measures. German politician Jürgen Hardt, a foreign policy spokesperson for the Christian Democratic Union and ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, suggested Germany could boycott the tournament as “a last resort in order to get Trump to see sense on the Greenland issue.”marca

In the UK, 23 MPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and Plaid Cymru signed a motion in parliament calling on FIFA to consider expelling the United States from hosting and competing in the World Cup. Conservative former minister Simon Hoare told the House of Commons the government needed to “fight fire with fire” and embarrass Trump, asking: “Should football teams play in American stadia for the World Cup?”stv

LGBTQ+ Group Cites Safety Fears

England’s official LGBTQ+ supporters group, Three Lions Pride, announced it will not have a “visible presence” at the tournament, citing what it called a “dangerous rollback of human rights in the US.”attitude

“There is a fear that our trans+ family would be at high risk of violence and discrimination, our butch lesbian family would be caught in the crosshairs of anti-trans legislation around bathrooms and our queer family generally would be a target for abuse,” the group stated. Co-founder Di Cunningham said that “hope, that optimism, is well and truly shattered.”thepinknews

FIFA, whose president Gianni Infantino has maintained close ties with Trump, has offered limited reassurance, stating that a match ticket “does not guarantee admission to a host country.” As one Senegalese supporter told DW: “If we are not welcomed as supporters, our teams should not participate. Without fans, there is no sport, no entertainment.”ladbible