Trump invites global fans to World Cup and Olympics as US tightens visa policies
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Although the US will be hosting major sporting events, industry experts believe US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on migrants may spook visitors.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
NEW YORK - US President Donald Trump told the United Nations General Assembly on Sept 23 that he hopes “countless people from all over the globe” will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the US.
Overseas travel to the US fell 2.9 per cent year on year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary US government data.
It was the sixth month in 2025 that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound visitors would finally surpass the pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million.
In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Trump said that in 2026, the US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence.
“We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 Fifa World Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics,” he said.
“It’s going to be very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from all over the globe will take part.”
More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries were received by Fifa for the World Cup within 24 hours of the presale draw, the governing body of world soccer said earlier in September.
The 48-team tournament will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the US, and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.
But a US trip may be expensive and complicated for many.
Visitors from non-visa waiver countries face a US$250 (S$320) “visa integrity fee” on top of the existing fee, with travellers already navigating long average visa wait times.
Such visitors face an average 169 days for a B-1/B-2 tourism or business visa interview, according to data from the US State Department.
That will hit fans from countries that traditionally send a large contingent to the World Cup, including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
Global ticket demand for the tournament came primarily from the three host countries, followed by Argentina, Colombia and Brazil, according to Fifa.
Tourists from visa-waiver countries – mostly in Europe – will not need to pay the new fee, but industry experts say some are being put off US vacations by fears of being stopped at the border after a number of widely publicised cases.
The White House is also looking to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued in August.
The 2028 Summer Olympics are set to be held in Los Angeles, California, in July 2028. REUTERS
