DONALD TRUMP has signed a proclamation which could ban fans of two African nations from attending the 2026 World Cup.
Trump’s government brought in the new travel bans on Tuesday, which will suspend entry for Senegal and Ivory Coast nationals into the US.
This ban extends to short term visits for purposes of work or tourism, meaning those seeking permission to attend the World Cup are set to be turned away.
Senegal will compete in Group I, alongside the likes of France, Norway and the winner of a playoff between Bolivia, Iraq or Suriname.
Their games against France and Norway are both scheduled to take place at the US’s MetLife stadium, but the game against their as-yet-unknown opponents in the playoff will be held in Toronto Canada, where fans will be free to attend as usual.
The Ivory Coast will play in Group E alongside Germany, Ecuador and the tiny island nation of Curacao, the smallest country to ever qualify for the tournament.
They face a similar situation as their Afcon rivals, with their matches against Ecuador and Curacao slated to be played in the US, while their clash with Germany will be played in the unrestricted Canada.
Previous executive orders approved by Trump make exceptions to allow for the players, staff and immediate family of the nations’ squads to enter the country.
That means Premier League stars like Iliman Ndiaye and Nicolas Jackson of Senegal and Amad or Evann Guessand of the Ivory Coast will not face any difficulty attending the competition.
But for tens of thousands of fans for both countries, the new rules mark a serious obstacle.
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The nations were among 15 others included in the proclamation, adding to a list of 12 countries announced to be receiving travel bans in June.
On that initial list were World Cup attendees Iran and Haiti, whose fans are also in danger of not being able to follow their nation at the tournament.
The White House added while endorsing the decision that: “The Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.”
It is not the first source of concern that has popped up for would-be World Cup fans hoping to travel to the US when it the tournament kicks off on June 11th.
The sky-high ticket pricing in the US-hosted matches has drawn significant criticism from fans.
Fifa responded by adding a new “supporter entry tier” category of tickets at a price of £45, provided to nations’ governing bodies to distribute among their most loyal fans.
But that solution has been deemed ‘a joke’ as less than 2 per cent of matches’ total seating allocation will be given to each country’s fans at that price.
