Football fans heading to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be granted priority access to U.S. visa appointments, President Donald Trump announced this week at the White House.
The new FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System allows ticket holders for official matches to bypass long visa-interview queues and secure faster appointments through U.S. embassies worldwide.
Trump described the measure as part of the administration’s plan to make the 2026 World Cup — jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada — an “unprecedented success.”
What the FIFA Priority Pass includes
FIFA President Gianni Infantino estimates that 5–10 million fans will travel to the United States, where most games will be held.
Under the new system:
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visa appointments will be expedited,
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documentation checks will be streamlined,
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more than 400 additional consular officers will be assigned to World Cup-related applications.
While in many countries fans may secure appointments within 60 days, in others — such as Colombia — wait times currently exceed 11 months.
Who can use the FIFA pass?
The U.S. government has not yet confirmed whether citizens of countries under full or partial entry bans will qualify.
The full-restriction list includes Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and others. Partial restrictions apply to Cuba, Venezuela, Turkmenistan, Laos and others.
Visa-free travelers
Citizens of 42 countries (mostly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region) may enter the U.S. visa-free for up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program.
Important reminder
Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified:
“A match ticket is not a visa. It does not guarantee admission to the United States.”
The FIFA Priority Pass simply moves applicants into an accelerated processing lane — the standard security vetting remains fully in place.