How will Trump's new travel ban impact 2026 World Cup?

The World Cup and the Olympics are widely considered the two most inclusive sports events in the world

but that may not be true for every nation when those events come around in 2026 and 2028

A travel ban announced by the Trump administration that goes into effect Monday

will prevent people from these 12 countries from coming to the U.S

The ban covers the entry of both immigrants and non-immigrants alike. President Trump's announcement cited several factors as to why these countries are on the list

Among them, ties to terrorism, poor screening and vetting procedures, and a history of people overstaying their visas

We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet

and screen those who seek to enter the United States. This will almost certainly have an effect on fans coming to the U.S. for the World Cup and the Olympic Games

Iran is the only nation on the fully banned list to have already qualified for the World Cup

The administration describes that country as a state sponsor of terrorism. But there's an exemption written into the executive order for any athlete or member of an athletic team

including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event, as determined by the Secretary of State

The order says nothing about friends or fans of those athletes and teams

There are also seven countries on a partially restricted list, including Venezuela

which could still qualify for the World Cup and has several nationals playing in MLS and Major League Baseball It not known whether those players can go back and forth for visits to their home country under the ban The State Department has yet to define what qualifies as a major sporting event

outside of the World Cup and Olympics. In addition to Venezuela, countries like Haiti, Sudan, and Libya

are still alive in their respective World Cup qualifying tournaments. FIFA has not publicly responded to the administration's ban

though they were present at the initial World Cup White House task force meeting in May

During an appearance on MSNBC, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut called Wednesday's travel ban a distraction

meant to draw attention away from the administration's budget bill working its way through Congress

Anytime you ban people coming to the United States from other countries, it has a real impact

But it is chiefly in service of trying to get us all talking about that or talking about the Biden investigation they launched today

instead of talking about the centerpiece of the story, which is this bill

Politics aside, and perhaps adding to the uncertainty, the president left the door open for more changes to the executive order

which could come at any time. The list is subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made

and likewise new countries can be added as threats emerge around the world

What still remains unclear is how long it'll take the State Department to process visas, green cards, and the exemptions allowed in the executive order

Teams, athletes, and their family members will know very soon how that goes

with ongoing World Cup qualifying events and the Club World Cup starting in the U.S. in 10 days

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis