President Donald Trump’s administration had previously said that athletes competing in the upcoming FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics would be exempt from a visa ban that targeted several nations. AdvertisementEvents that qualify include “all competitions and qualifying events” for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan-American Games and Para Pan-American Games, FIFA and the Special Olympics. On Dec. 16, President Trump declared that the ban had been lifted for athletes competing in the World Cup and the Winter Olympics. He said decisions on other sporting events would be delegated to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who added a number of events to the list. “Only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” the cable stated.

Source: International New York Times January 16, 2026 22:29 UTC