The United States will fast-track visa processing for foreign fans holding tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, President Donald Trump announced Monday, unveiling a system designed to keep travel flowing smoothly into the country during the sport’s largest global event.
The initiative, created as part of preparations for next summer’s tournament across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, aims to accelerate visa appointments while maintaining full security screening.
Under the plan, dubbed the “FIFA Pass”, ticket holders who bought through FIFA will receive priority access to visa-interview scheduling via a dedicated portal.
The system, Trump said, will give millions of traveling fans a faster, more predictable path to entry as the tournament runs from June 11 through July 19 in 11 U.S. host cities.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump said U.S. agencies had coordinated to ensure fans are “properly vetted and able to come to the U.S. next summer easily.”
He urged ticket holders to begin visa applications immediately, noting that wait times in most countries have dropped to 60 days or fewer.
The president also touted the economic stakes, saying the World Cup could generate up to $30 billion and create more than 200,000 jobs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the State Department has deployed more than 400 additional consular officers worldwide to manage the expected surge in demand.
In several countries, the number of officers has effectively doubled. “We’re offering prioritized appointments so fans can complete their visa interviews and show they qualify,” Rubio said, adding that the expedited system does not alter the security vetting process – only the speed at which applicants move through the queue.
Infantino praised the initiative as a sign of U.S. readiness to host. He said between 5 million and 10 million people are expected to travel to the United States during the tournament, with more than one million tickets already sold to fans from 212 countries.
FIFA said ticket holders will receive detailed information about the priority portal in early 2026.
The White House announcement came ahead of the World Cup draw on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center, now overseen by Trump-aligned leadership.
It also arrived with a touch of controversy, as Trump suggested he might urge FIFA to move matches out of Seattle if he believes the city, whose new mayor, Katie Wilson, has vowed to “Trump-proof” local policies, cannot guarantee safety. “If we think there’s gonna be any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move that to a different city,” Trump said.
Infantino avoided committing to any relocation but emphasized that safety and security “remain the number one priority for a successful World Cup,” saying that strong ticket sales already show global confidence in the tournament’s organization.
The 2026 edition will feature 104 matches across North America, marking the largest World Cup in history.
