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The Trump administration has revealed various “major sporting events” in addition to the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban for nearly 40 countries, allowing them to travel to the United States to compete.
In a cable sent Wednesday to all U.S. embassies and consulates, the State Department said athletes, coaches and support staff for the World Cup, Olympics and events supported or hosted by a long list of collegiate and professional sports leagues and associations would be excluded from the full and partial travel bans imposed on citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority.
But foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors who want to attend the events would still be affected by the ban unless they can benefit from another exemption.
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The Trump administration has revealed “major sporting events” besides the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
“Only a small subset of travelers participating in the World Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and other major sporting events will benefit from the exception,” the message said.
The federal government has issued several immigration and travel bans and other visa restrictions as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb immigration, even though the administration still wants athletes, coaches and fans to be able to attend major sporting events in the United States.
Trump’s proclamation last month banning the issuance of visas to the 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority had included an exception for athletes and staff participating in certain sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, and a decision on what other sporting events would be covered would be made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors who wish to attend the events would still be affected by the ban, unless they qualify for another exemption. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Events covered, according to the cable, include all competitions and qualifying events for the Olympics, Paralympics, Pan American Games and Parapan American Games; events organized, sanctioned or recognized by a U.S. national governing body; all competitions and qualifying events for the Special Olympics; and official events and competitions organized or approved by FIFA or its confederations.
Official events and competitions organized by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as those organized or endorsed by American professional sports leagues such as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Little League, the National Hockey League, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, NASCAR, Formula 1, the Professional Golf Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association, LIV Golf, Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship and All Elite Wrestling are also covered by the exemption.
More events and leagues could be added to the list in the future, the cable said.
More events and leagues may be added to the list in the future. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
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Under the new visa restrictions, a total travel ban covers citizens of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as well as holders passports issued by the Palestinian Authority.
A partial ban applies to citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
