Argentina ask US government to ban 13,000 of their own fans from attending World Cup matches

The Argentine government has asked US authorities to ban 13,000 supporters from attending matches at the 2026 World Cup this summer.

Argentina head into the tournament as reigning champions and are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup next month.

Lionel Scaloni's side headline Group J and will play their first match against Algeria in Kansas City in the early hours of Wednesday morning. They also face Austria and Jordan as they aim to progress to the knockout stages.

The eyes of the world will be on Argentina this summer, though its government is keen to ensure that a host of fans aren't allowed to travel for those matches.

Spanish outlet AS reports that Argentine officials have provided a list to the United States that consists of roughly 13,000 parents who have defaulted on child support payments.

They believe that those parents who have not been able to support their children financially should not be allowed to attend the 2026 World Cup. Buenos Aires mayor Jorge Macri stated: “If they don’t provide for their children, they will not be allowed into the stadium.”

Argentina's tough stance stems from a national government initiative called 'Safe Stands'. The program aims to identify and punish parents who find the money to attend sporting events while neglecting the basic needs of their children. It is understood the list handed to US officials includes those who owe child support and have been previously found to be in arrears by Argentine courts.

There has been an increased focus in recent months on locating those in arrears, which occurs when a required periodic payment is not fulfilled by its due date. The Argentine government hope that by sharing the list with US law enforcement, they will be able to locate anyone with outstanding debts who is attempting to attend a World Cup match.

Since the 'Safe Stands' initiative was expanded in 2023, there has been widespread support from Argentine society. Official statistics claim more than four million spectators have been screened across 1,328 football matches. During that period, 1,166 individuals with outstanding arrest warrants were identified, with dozens of administrative bans issued.

As well as notifying US officials about those with outstanding debts, the wider list also includes those who have a history of committing violent crimes.

"The list includes more than 15,000 people who will be banned from stadiums," Minister of National Security Patricia Bullrich said. "For us, this is extremely important because no violent person who has committed any crime in Argentine stadiums will be able to attend this sporting event."