FIFA President Infantino has assured fans of getting access to the US
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has assured football fans across the globe that the United States is ready to welcome travelling fans to the country for the 2026 World Cup.
This comes after it was reported that football fans from Africa “are a little bit jittery” about current events in the United States. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was told at a news conference in Kenya, which urged him to ensure African visitors to the tournament do not feel “outcast … second-class citizens.”
The FIFA leader was reminded he met yet again last week with US President Donald Trump, who now has a gold World Cup trophy sitting in a glass case on his desk in the White House.
“We are going to play it in a country where some of us do not feel welcome,” said a reporter from South Africa, the home country of FIFA vice president Patrice Motsepe, who sat beside Infantino at a luxury hotel in Nairobi.
Motsepe is the brother-in-law of South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had a tense visit to the White House in May 2025 when Trump repeated his administration’s baseless claims of white farmers being systematically killed in the country.
At least nine African nations will be in the 48-team lineup of the World Cup being played from June 11 to July 19 in 11 US cities, plus three in Mexico and two in Canada. Egypt, Morocco and South Africa are likely to qualify in October as current leaders of qualifying groups.
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A 10th African team could advance in inter-continental playoffs scheduled after the tournament draw, which Trump and Infantino announced in the Oval Office last week will be held in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center on December 5.
“Everyone will be welcome in North America next year for the World Cup,” said Infantino, whose long-standing ties to Trump got him a seat in the Capitol Rotunda for the president’s inauguration in January.
“I think it’s important to clarify this. There is a lot of misconception out there,” the FIFA leader told a roomful of African media.
Tickets for the 104 World Cup games go on sale September 10, 2025, amid long-standing concerns about fans getting visas to enter the US, which has travel bans and watch lists for dozens of countries. Iran already qualified and will play at least three games at the World Cup.
“I think the onus is on you to make sure that Africa and all the other people of the world do not feel outcast, do not feel like they are being made second-class citizens in a world where equality should prevail,” the South African reporter told Infantino and Motsepe.
The reporter’s identity was not immediately clear — the news conference was carried on the Confederation of African Football’s YouTube channel — but he said he’s from South Africa.
Infantino was told earlier by a reporter: “African football fans are a little bit jittery about what is happening in the US in regards to the expansion of people who are in the US.”
Motsepe, a billionaire businessman who has led Africa’s football body since 2021, insisted discreet work with US authorities had secured commitments to make the World Cup run smoothly.
“We are confident that we will fulfil whatever requirements they may have and there will be sufficient access to African fans in the World Cup next year,” Motsepe said.
Announcing travel bans in June, the Trump administration promised exemptions for teams and officials coming to the tournament — and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — though the prospects for fans are less clear.
Infantino claimed fans came from 164 countries to the month-long Club World Cup hosted in 11 US cities in June and July “without, of course, any problems” with visas.
“The world needs occasions of unity,” said Infantino, who was told by Trump in the White House last week that FIFA would not be able to organise World Cup games in LA next year had the president not sent troops into the city this month. Eight games are scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, including the US team’s opener on June 12.
“Be positive, you will see there will be a great, great celebration of the greatest FIFA World Cup ever,” Infantino said in Kenya.
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