Summary:

• * The 2026 World Cup could have a fresh twist if a mooted list from the US State Department is passed
• * The list contains 43 countries whose citizens could be banned from travelling to the United States by Donald Trump’s administration
• * The United States of America is one of the host nations for next year’s World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada

A Kenyan publication, TUKO News has enunciated the dangers ahead as the qualifying series for the World Cup 2026 is nearing completion. Already, some countries have secured their qualifications.

The 2026 World Cup is set to be one of the most consequential FIFA events of all time. The tournament will feature 48 teams for the first time ever, which is an increase from the previous 32.

A proposed law could see Donald Trump’s administration restrict the travel of 43 countries ahead of World Cup 2026. Photos by Michael Regan/Chip Somodevilla. Source: Getty Images

It will also be the first time that the World Cup will be hosted by three countries – the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.

The other factor to look at is President Donald Trump, who rode into office defiantly last year, beating former vice-president Kamala Harris, to reclaim the position he lost in 2020. Some of Trump’s polices have been considered far-reaching and could have immense repercussions if followed to the letter.

One of the policies includes a proposed travel ban on the citizens of 43 countries. A three-tier list has been drafted of the nations that could be denied entry into the United States. The proposed law is a follow-up of the executive order Trump signed on January 20, requiring increased vetting of any foreigners seeking entry into the country.

Which countries will be affected?

Among the countries in the proposed list is Iran which has already qualified for the World Cup. Mehdi Taremi scored twice to salvage a point against Uzbekistan. which was enough for them to confirm their place as one of the Asian teams. Team Melli will be at the biggest stage for the fourth consecutive time.

Of the 43 in the mooted list, Africa is the most affected with 22 countries. Five-time AFCON winners Cameroon, who are one of the favourites to qualify, lead.

Countries that have already been banned from World Cup 2026

FIFA has already banned three countries from participating in next year’s showpiece. Russia’s ban from many sporting activities continues after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, while Congo and Pakistan have been banned for failure to adhere to FIFA statutes.

Zambia have also been put on a short leash due to the continued interference by third parties in the management of football in that country. FIFA frowns on such interference from state organs, with Kenya bearing the full brunt way back in 2021.

Full list of countries that Donald Trump could ban

New York Times reports that the list, compiled by the US State Department, is not yet final. The White House is yet to pronounce itself on the memo. However, as things stand, this is the list of countries in the list.

Proposed for full ban: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela,

Proposed for Partial visa bans: Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Turkmenistan,

Countries Recommended for Partial Suspension: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Republic of the Congo, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe.

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In a stroke of remarkable fortune, Bafana Bafana enjoys a distinctly advantageous position heading into the remaining four fixtures of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Neighbours Lesotho and Zimbabwe play their home fixtures in South Africa, so these matches become home fixtures for Bafana Bafana. The gods are smiling on Bafana, significantly boosting their chances of a 2026 World Cup ticket. Presently Bafana lead Group C by five points ahead after six games.

In the other two matches, South Africa will host Nigeria and Rwanda. After last week’s match in Benin, the campaign continues with a game against hosts Lesotho on September 1. Very likely Lesotho will choose the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. A few days later, Bafana will host Nigeria in their eighth (out of 10) group match.

Qualifiers restart in early October when Zimbabwe host South Africa. Zimbabwe have chosen Durban and Orlando Stadium as their home venue for past fixtures. South Africa’s group phase play ends when they host Rwanda a week later.

No one ever thought that drawing fellow COSAFA countries in the same group would end up being so advantageous for Bafana.

It is pointless doing projections of what points tally South Africa need to win Group C and gain automatic selection to next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. South Africa is waiting to hear if they will be punished for playing an ineligible player in a match against Lesotho next week.

Lesotho Football Association (LEFA) Secretary General Mokhosi Mohapi yesterday informed SAFA that his association has written to FIFA, saying they are withdrawing the “issue against the South African Football Association”.

Although this is good news it still does not mean that FIFA will not pursue the matter. There are cases in which countries have defaulted, and FIFA took action even though countries did not lodge protests.

As the clock ticks down to the qualifiers’ conclusion, the excitement and uncertainty surrounding Bafana will undoubtedly engage fans across the country, eager to see if fortune does indeed favour the brave.

Meanwhile, retired Johannesburg referee Victor Gomes became the first South African to be appointed to the Technical Advisory Panel of the International Football Association Board for the next two-year cycle. They advise IFAB on matters related to the Laws of the Game, including potential changes and improvements.

-AOL

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María Tato, the official responsible for organizing Spain’s bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, resigned on Wednesday following serious allegations of manipulating the selection criteria for host cities. 

The controversy erupted after Spanish daily El Mundo published audio recordings in which Tato was heard discussing the alteration of scores in an Excel spreadsheet to favour San Sebastián’s Anoeta Stadium over the Balaídos Stadium in Vigo.

According to the audio, Tato and her team altered values in the spreadsheet, running tests repeatedly until they achieved the desired result. One of the excerpts from the recording reveals Tato saying, “Let’s enter values into Excel to see what we get. This is the first test of 800 we’ll run until we get the result right.”

Following the publication of these recordings, Tato submitted her resignation to Rafael Louzán, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), who accepted it.

The scandal centered around the accusation that Tato and her team manipulated the selection process to ensure that Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián would host World Cup matches, while Vigo’s Balaídos Stadium was excluded from consideration. 

No technical explanation was provided for the score changes, which sparked outrage, particularly in Vigo, where Mayor Abel Caballero and many locals voiced their anger.

Interestingly, sources close to the investigation revealed that although Louzán had fired Tato in December after hearing about the audio recordings, he chose to keep her in the role at that time.

In an exclusive interview with El Mundo after her resignation, Tato defended herself, claiming she was “a scapegoat” in a larger political storm. “I am the victim of a perfect storm, in which political interests and the revenge of the members of the World Cup Committee converge,” Tato said.

She admitted to having initially included Balaídos in the classification but later corrected the scores, citing “a mistake” in her interpretation of the criteria. “I simply corrected some errors in interpretation when applying the criteria, and I didn’t do it alone,” she explained.

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