England fan finds out live on air that his entry to US has been denied after going on cruise holiday

An England supporter with World Cup tickets discovered live on air that his Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) application had been rejected because he visited Cuba on a cruise.

In recent weeks, US travel bans and visa regulations have stopped fans and officials from entering the country for this summer's World Cup.

Omar Artan, who was set to become the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals, was turned away by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Miami International Airport due to “vetting concerns".

Julien Kouadio, the president of Ivory Coast's National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE), also confirmed this week that some Ivory Coast fans have been denied visas to the United States.

"The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including the Ivory Coast, on its soil," Kouadio told AFP.

The situation around travel bans and regulations has also impacted an England supporter who will not attend this summer's tournament after his ESTA application was denied following a visit to Cuba last year.

The U.S. Department of State designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) on January 12, 2021, meaning anyone who has travelled to or been present in Cuba on or after that date is generally no longer eligible to enter the US under the Visa Waiver Program using an ESTA.

If an ESTA has already been approved and it is later determined that the traveller has been present in Cuba or holds dual nationality with both a VWP country and Cuba, the ESTA will be revoked.

The restriction does not apply if you were in Cuba to perform military service or active-duty government service for a VWP country, but this did not apply to the England fan who visited the country on a cruise.

READ MORE: World Cup referee speaks out after FIFA confirm entry into US has been blocked

While speaking on Nicky Campbell’s BBC Radio 5 Live show this week, the supporter received the news that his ESTA had been rejected.

“Well, I’ve just had a thing come through on my ESTA from the American Embassy and they’ve refused my entry to America because I went to Cuba on a cruise,” he began.

“It says: ‘Unfortunately, you are unable to enter the USA due to your entry into Cuba in 2025 and therefore you are not eligible to enter the USA.’

“So you get a thing back from ESTA, they give you 72 hours and they’ll come back to you. And the longer it takes, normally it takes about 14 minutes. This time it’s taken three days and they’ve refused my entry.

“And I thought that might be the case because I knew about Cuba. That’s why I tried to get rid of my World Cup tickets. But, yeah, it just shows you that’s how it goes.”

Asked how they knew about his visit to Cuba, the caller replied: "Well, when you go to Cuba, you get a stamp in your passport, and they notify that. I don't know exactly how the process works."

Campbell then asked for confirmation that the caller had just received the news about his ESTA.

"Yeah, that's why I rang, because I was waiting for it to come through," he said. "Then it came through and I thought, 'What am I going to do?'

"With ESTA, I don't disagree that the Americans should control their borders and do what they want, but because I went on a cruise and didn't realise it would have an impact, it's just cost me going to the World Cup."