World Cup
Nigerian Fans to Benefit as US Introduces Priority Visa Appointments for FIFA World Cup Ticket Holders
Nigerian football fans planning to attend the FIFA World Cup in the United States next year may find the journey easier, following a new joint announcement by FIFA and the U.S. government introducing priority visa-appointment slots for match-ticket holders.
The initiative—known as the FIFA PASS—will allow fans who already possess World Cup tickets to fast-track their visa interview appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates. The system is designed to help supporters secure visas in time for the 2026 tournament, which will run from June 11 to July 19 across 11 cities in the United States, with additional matches in Mexico and Canada.
Although the programme is open to all nationalities, it could prove particularly significant for Nigerians, who have historically faced some of the longest visa-processing delays. Many supporters missed major competitions in recent years due to appointment backlogs and slow processing times.
Speaking at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said the government was committed to ensuring that “soccer fans from all around the world are properly vetted and able to come to the U.S. next summer easily.” He noted that the administration had accelerated visa issuance globally, reducing typical wait times to 60 days or fewer.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the State Department had deployed 400 additional consular officers—doubling staff capacity in some countries—to meet expected demand and speed up processing.
“The U.S. is offering prioritized appointments so fans can complete their visa interviews and show they qualify,” Rubio said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who joined the announcement, estimated that between 5 million and 10 million fans could travel to the U.S. for the tournament. Already, more than one million tickets have been purchased by supporters from 212 countries, according to FIFA.
For Nigerian fans—who traditionally travel in large numbers for major tournaments—this move could ease one of their biggest concerns: the fear of securing match tickets only to be denied timely visa appointments.
FIFA said ticket buyers will receive detailed information on how to access the priority visa-appointment system in early 2026.
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The Trump administration will not require World Cup ticket holders from countries flagged for high rates of visa overstays to pay expensive bonds to enter the United States, a U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday.
The administration last year began requiring visitors from some countries to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to obtain tourist visas to the U.S., saying the steep deposit was needed to prevent visa overstays. Fifty countries are currently subject to the bond requirement, which was expanded this year.
Five of the 50 countries subject to the visa bonds qualified to participate in the World Cup: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia.
Mora Namdar, the top official in the State Department’s consular affairs division, said the U.S. would waive the bond requirement for ticket-holding fans who had already registered through a special system to expedite their visa processing. Qualifying team members and staff can also have the bonds waived, Namdar said.
“We remain committed to strengthening U.S. national security priorities while facilitating legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament,” she said in a statement.
The Associated Press first reported the news.
The World Cup, one of the globe’s biggest sporting events, will be held in June and July this year across three countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown has already cast a pall over the event and raised concerns about the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Last year, masked federal agents surged into U.S. cities to track down immigration offenders and detained some tourists at airports.
The advocacy group Human Rights Watch , in late April, called on FIFA to press the U.S. government to establish an “ICE Truce” for the World Cup, including a public guarantee to refrain from immigration enforcement operations at games and venues.
DHS said at the time that international visitors travelling for the games “have nothing to worry about” if they have legal immigration status.
The U.S. launched a system in January to make it easier for World Cup ticket holders to obtain expedited visas. In order to have the bond requirement waived, ticket holders from affected countries must have registered in that system, known as FIFA PASS, by April 15.
-Reuters
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New Jersey’s public rail system is further dropping its World Cup ticket price from an original $150 per round trip to $98, the rail system provider said on Wednesday.
This NJ TRANSIT cut followed a reduction to $105 earlier in May.
The prices for the trip, which outraged World Cup fans both in the New York City area and from overseas, sparked much political comment, from local officials to U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
Local officials had complained that FIFA was going to earn billions from the event, while New Jersey taxpayers would be footing a huge bill for security, disrupted services and other game-related impacts.
“We were able to reduce costs while protecting NJ Transit’s daily customers and commuters from bearing the financial burden,” NJ Transit Chair Priya Jain said.
The price drop was possible because of additional advertising revenue, the agency said.
The tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, starts on June 11.
-Reuters
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The White House refuted reports that the United States denied visas for five members of Iraq’s national team ahead of next month’s World Cup.
The State Department sent a statement on Wednesday to Front Office Sports in response to online reports involving five players, including Luton Town forward Ali Al-Hamadi.
“Currently, there are no known issues affecting the Iraq National Team players, and they remain on track to compete in the World Cup,” the statement reads. “We maintain daily communication with FIFA and will continue to prioritise these players in accordance with the President’s Executive Order, ensuring an incredible and safe tournament.”
The Iraqi Football Association also quashed the rumours that had circulated on social media on Tuesday.
“The news is false, and the truth is that all the national team players have obtained entry visas to America,” it said, per the Iraqi news site The New Region, adding that the players are also in the process of getting Canadian visas.
Iraq is in a tough Group I for this summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America, along with France, Senegal and Norway. Iraq is scheduled to play games in Foxborough, Mass. (June 16 vs. Norway), Philadelphia (June 22 vs. France) and in Toronto (June 26 vs. Senegal).
-Reuters
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