Fans have to expect high entry prices and travel costs for the 2026 World Cup. New visa regulations are now likely to be added in the USA, some of which require disclosure of digital private life.
Nationals from 42 countries – including many EU states such as the Federal Republic of Germany – are currently allowed to enter the USA for 90 days without a visa using the so-called ESTA system (“Electronic System for Travel Authorization”). However, you have to report entry and exit via the system; this also applies to the 2026 World Cup, which will primarily take place in the USA. Germany plays in the USA twice in the group phase and once in Canada.
The government of President Donald Trump is now planning to screen the private communications of people entering the USA. Business and private telephone numbers that were used in the five years before entry should be disclosed, as should accounts on social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, X or TikTok. The e-mail addresses used in the ten years before entry as well as personal data of family members should in future have to be provided.
German fans at the game against the USA in East Hartford
Fans of numerous World Cup participants potentially affected
That sees a regulatory proposalwhich the US Border Patrol submitted. It is not clear from the document whether login details must be provided. The new regulation should come into force within 60 days if it is not challenged in court. At the World Cup, fans from numerous countries would be directly affected: In addition to Germany, this would also apply to people from France, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Spain, for example. World Cup participating countries outside of Europe are also affected, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Qatar and South Korea.
US Customs and Border Protection said it is not a final rule but the first step in a discussion about new policy options to protect the American people. The proposal is in line with a Trump executive order from January requiring the collection of more information about people entering the country. The Foreign Office writes in his travel advice for the USAthe authorities are authorized to check devices carried such as cell phones or laptops. “In justified cases, the devices can also be read out.”
Fans and civil rights activists concerned about freedom of expression
So can critical articles about the US government have consequences for entry? “The US government’s announced plans are absolutely unacceptable,” says Ronan Evain from the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) fan alliance in an interview with Sportschau. “Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are universal human rights. No football fan gives up these rights just because they cross a border.”
Sophia Cope, senior attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights organization, told The New York Times that mandatory disclosure of social media activity has so far proven ineffective in tracking down terrorists and other criminals. “But the measure has restricted free speech and violated the privacy of innocent travelers as well as their American family members, friends and colleagues.”
Applications for many different types of visas in the USA – for example for work or study – already require that all social media accounts on all platforms be mentioned. Otherwise there is a risk of refusal of entry. For certain work visas, the requirement to set the accounts to “public” also applies.
Mobile phone ticket at the World Cup in Qatar
In Russia and Qatar the ticket was also a visa
People from countries that are not exempt from visa requirements still have to register for interview appointments with American authorities in their countries – and have long had to disclose their social media accounts in their applications. In some cases there is currently a waiting period of months. According to US figures, people in Abuja/Nigeria have to wait an average of nine months for an appointment. The same applies to people in Ottawa and Monterrey – the two cities are in Canada and Mexico, the two co-hosts of the World Cup. Fans from South American countries are also subject to a visa requirement.
In Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, the entry tickets were linked to a visa. That’s not the case this time. At a joint appearance in the White House on November 17th, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and US President Trump announced the so-called “FIFA Pass”, which is intended to make everything easier: people with World Cup tickets, some of which are only available for four-digit dollar amounts, will be able to get faster interview appointments for visa procedures. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “America welcomes the world. We have always said that this will be the largest and most inclusive World Cup. FIFA’s system for accelerated dates is a concrete example of this.”
US President Donald Trump (l.) with FIFA President Gianni Infantino (m.) and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio
Ticket sales for the tournament are in the final stages. Evain from the FSE fan alliance criticized the fact that there were still no details about the “FIFA passport”. Fans now have to decide how to travel, although it is unclear whether the “FIFA Pass” will actually speed up the process: “There are no clear rules of the game, which makes it incredibly difficult for fans to assess whether they are safe in the US or whether they should stay home.”
Entry bans for people from two World Cup participating countries
The “FIFA Pass” remains inaccessible to some fans anyway. Since the summer of 2025, nationals from Iran and Haiti have been subject to a general ban on entry into the USA, which the Trump administration has decided on.
Trump imposed entry bans on certain countries during his first term in office. Ahead of the awarding of the 2026 World Cup to the USA, Canada and Mexico, FIFA President Infantino said: “It is clear when it comes to FIFA competitions: every qualified team, including fans and all officials, must have access to the host country. Otherwise there will be no World Cup, that is obvious. The requirements will be clear.”
Iranian fans at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
The teams will probably only be supported by fans who already live in the USA. It is estimated that more than 70,000 people of Haitian heritage live in the Boston area, where Haiti will face Scotland in the group stage, with only New York and Miami having more. People from Iran who live in the USA are primarily at home in California. The Iranian team will play two of their group games in Los Angeles.