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President Donald Trump has called another meeting of the White House task force on FIFA ahead of next year’s World Cup in North America, and a new initiative will be implemented for ticket holders entering the United States.
The FIFA task force has announced a new system that would allow World Cup ticket holders to benefit from priority visa interviews.
Trump spoke about the so-called FIFA Pass alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino. In announcing the priority appointment scheduling system, Trump also noted that the State Department and Department of Homeland Security were working “tirelessly” to “ensure that soccer fans around the world are properly screened and can easily come to the United States next summer.”
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President Trump, along with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, FIFA Senior Advisor for Global Strategy and Governance Carlos Cordeiro and Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Illinois, delivers remarks during a meeting of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, November 17, 2025, at the White House in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“I have asked my administration to do everything in its power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success. I think it will be the biggest, and we are setting records for ticket sales,” Trump added.
Infantino added that FIFA expects “between five and ten million people from all over the world to come to America to enjoy the World Cup” next year.
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“With this FIFA Pass, we can guarantee that those who buy a ticket are legitimate football fans, or football fans… that they can come and watch the World Cup in the best conditions – starting with getting their visa and then, of course, in the country to enjoy it,” Infantino said in the Oval Office.
Trump strongly encouraged World Cup ticket holders around the world to apply for their US visas “immediately.”
President Trump speaks during a meeting with the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, November 17, 2025, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also present in the Oval Office, telling reporters that “more than 400 additional consular officers” have been deployed to embassies around the world to process World Cup-related visa applications.
“Our advice to everyone is this: If you have a ticket to one of the games, you should apply for it as soon as possible. If you haven’t done so as soon as possible, don’t wait until the last minute,” Rubio said. “Your ticket is not a visa; it does not guarantee admission to the United States. It guarantees you an expedited appointment.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President Trump pose during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. (Yoan Valat/Pool/AFP)
The World Cup, which will take place in Canada, Mexico and the United States, is expected to attract six billion viewers worldwide, according to Infantino. He also expects a billion people to attend the World Cup draw on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
