World Cup 2026 host cities say fans ‘welcome’

NEW YORK: American World Cup host city officials assured Monday that overseas fans would be welcome at next year´s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico despite “uncertainty” amid ongoing concerns over visas, border controls and social unrest.

In a briefing in New York that came just over a year from the opening game of the tournament on June 11, 2026, officials said President Donald Trump´s administration remained “extremely supportive” of the World Cup.

Since returning to power, Trump has started a global trade war, threatened to annex Canada and launched a border crackdown that has led to harsh treatment of foreign visitors attempting to enter the United States. Trump´s immigration offensive has in turn led to civil unrest, with clashes in Los Angeles over the weekend triggered by large-scale raids last week.

Eleven American cities will host the bulk of the games at next year´s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by three nations for the first time and has been expanded to include 48 teams.

Executives from the local organising committees for the 11 US World Cup venues gathered in New York on Monday to brief on logistical aspects of the tournament, including transportation, stadium access, fan zones as well as general access to the United States.

“For each of our cities, we want to be prepared to make any person that is coming and makes the decision to come to the United States or come to this World Cup feel that they are welcome,” said Meg Kane, head of the Philadelphia organising committee.

Kane said while officials were planning “within uncertainty” due to matters taking place at national and international level, the Trump administration was firmly behind the tournament.

“We do not play a role necessarily in what is happening in terms of the decisions that are made,” Kane said. “What we can say is that the current administration -- while there are certain situations that we are monitoring closely -- has been extremely supportive of FIFA World Cup.”

Alex Lasry, the chief executive of the New York/New Jersey World Cup committee said officials were bracing for “millions” of fans inside and outside the stadiums irrespective of the political climate.

“I think sports transcends geopolitics,” Lasry told AFP. “I think we´ve seen that for Olympics. We´ve seen it for other World Cups, in Qatar or Russia. “People want to come to these mega sporting events, and they´re going to travel to ensure that they´re able to cheer on and see their team play.

“Our job as a host committee is to make sure that we are putting on an event and making sure that our city and our region is ready to welcome everyone who´s able to come to the World Cup,” added Lasry, who was previously an assistant secretary for tourism in President Joe Biden´s government.