The Trump administration has introduced a new accelerated visa system ahead of the 2026 World Cup, aiming to manage the huge influx of visitors expected for the tournament.
Announced on Monday at the White House, the initiative is designed to speed up visa interview appointments for foreign fans who have already secured match tickets, but officials emphasized that faster processing does not translate to automatic entry into the United States.
Under the new program, known as the Fifa prioritized appointment scheduling system, ticket holders will be moved to the front of the queue for visa interviews. However, secretary of state Marco Rubio stressed that the process only guarantees quicker scheduling, not approval. He reiterated that all applicants will still undergo the same security and eligibility checks required for any visa seeker entering the country.
“Your ticket is not a visa. It doesn’t guarantee admission to the US,” Rubio said while addressing reporters. “It guarantees you an expedited appointment. You’re still going to go through the same vetting. We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue.”
The caution comes amid concerns that some non-American citizens among the roughly one million people who have already bought tickets may ultimately face entry denial despite holding valid match passes. Fifa president Gianni Infantino said officials expect to sell as many as 6 to 7 million tickets, predicting that “between five and 10 million people” will travel to the US for the event.
Although the US, Mexico and Canada co-hosts of the tournament represent the majority of early ticket buyers, Fifa reported that fans from 212 countries and territories have already secured seats. To handle the spike in visa demand, Rubio noted that more than 400 additional consular officers had been deployed worldwide, significantly reducing appointment backlogs in several nations.
Rubio highlighted major progress in countries such as Brazil and Argentina, where visa wait times have dropped from over a year to less than two months. He said many embassies have doubled staff to meet the rising demand and ensure visitors can apply in time for next summer’s global sporting event.
In a separate development, Trump warned that he may relocate matches from cities he deems unsafe or mismanaged, singling out Seattle and its new democratic socialist mayor.
He also mentioned deploying the national guard to Los Angeles if necessary, insisting the federal government will intervene early to guarantee safety. Calling the World Cup a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Trump said the US intends to deliver a secure and memorable tournament when it kicks off next summer with an expanded lineup of 48 teams.
