Donald Trump has effectively banned fans of one of the nations set to compete in the 2026 World Cup from entering the US.
Excitement is already building ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to take place across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
The tournament’s final will take place at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, with the semi-finals also set to be held in the US.
In total, 11 US cities - Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle - will play host to matches, with Toronto and Vancouver being the two Canadian host cities.
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Three Mexican cities - Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara - will host matches in Mexico.
Of course, U.S. President Trump is clearly looking forward to the country being showcased across the world and will likely be in attendance for several matches, like he was at last summer’s Club World Cup, during which he stood alongside Chelsea’s players as they were presented with the trophy after their victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
However, away from his at times jovial public persona, Trump has made several controversial decisions that will impact some of the participating nations ahead of the 48-team tournament.
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Caribbean island Haiti qualified for just their second ever World Cup with a 2-0 win over Nicaragua on Wednesday (November 19), but some of their fans may run into problems if they wish to travel to the US to watch their side.
The nation is covered by the travel ban Trump signed in June of this year, with 18 other countries also on the list.
The ban restricts people from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the US, while partially restricting the entry of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela nationals.
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The 79-year-old cited the reason for the bans as being down to national security risks.
Some exemptions will be made to allow players, staff, and families to attend the event.
As reported by POLITICO, Haitian fans will not receive an exemption according to the State Department.
The nation is the second country, alongside Iran, to have qualified for the 2026 World Cup while also being under the travel ban.
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Haiti is currently dealing with a political crisis, as well as widespread gang violence and poor humanitarian conditions, which have forced the national team to play their home matches 500 miles away in Curacao.
Topics: Donald Trump, Football, FIFA
Luke Davies