The official decision by the White House to prohibit the entry of fans of the Iranian and Haitian teams to the United States during the 2026 World Cup matches sparked a widespread wave of controversy, after it was considered one of the strictest restrictions ever imposed in the history of the World Cup on fans of qualified teams.
The Times reported that the decision was justified under "national security" reasons, while only the delegations of the two teams, including players, technical and management staff, and medical teams, will be allowed to enter U.S. territory under special exceptions granted to participating teams.
It explained: "This measure comes at a time when the United States expects to receive between five to seven million visitors during the tournament, prompting the U.S. administration to tighten security controls related to visas and entry across various ports."
The newspaper pointed out that the White House's decision led to widespread dissatisfaction in sports and human rights circles, amid questions about its compatibility with the values of the World Cup that are based on openness and facilitating the participation of fans from different countries, as well as causing shock among the fans of Iran and Haiti who were preparing to travel to support their teams, especially since Haiti is returning to the World Cup after a long absence, while Iran has a large fanbase accustomed to accompanying the team in major tournaments.
