World Cup 2026 organizers prepare for wrinkles created by U.S. travel restrictions

Globe and Mail

a day ago

The head of Toronto's World Cup 2026 host committee says the executive order issued by the White House last week restricting travel to the U.S. from 19 countries is more of the same uncertainty that organizers have had to adjust to as partners in the event with the U.S. under President Donald Trump.
'Things have been changing with some of these [presidential] orders back and forth, as we all know in the tariff situation,' said Sharon Bollenbach, the executive director of FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto.
When the new edict came down, 'I think there's a bit of, like: 'OK, that's what we're dealing with today.''
Her assessment echoed comments by some of her U.S. counterparts at a gathering of the 11 U.S. host city leaders this week.
'There are going to be geopolitical issues that we don't even know right now that are going to affect the tournament next year, so we recognize that we're planning within uncertainty,' Meg Kane, the head of Philadelphia's local organizing committee, told reporters. 'One of the things that I think we all recognize is that we have to be really good at operating within that uncertainty.'
Last week's executive order bans citizens of 12 countries from travelling to the U.S., including Iran, ranked 18th in the world by FIFA, which qualified for the World Cup in March. Other nations with promising teams such as Haiti and Sudan also fall under the ban. The U.S. also partially restricted travel to the U.S. of citizens of an additional seven countries, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Sierra Leone.
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The order contains exemptions for players, staff and family members of sports teams competing in major events such as the World Cup or the Olympics. But it caught organizers off guard and represents a significant impediment for fans hoping to travel between the three host nations. It also casts a shadow over the spirit of unity that those countries – Canada, the United States and Mexico – had hoped to strike when they signed on to the tournament in 2018.
In a statement to The Globe and Mail, Jessie Adcock, FIFA World Cup 26 Vancouver host committee lead, said the organization is 'actively reviewing the recent Executive Order issued by the White House and are in ongoing discussions with our partners to assess any potential implications for tournament planning and operations.'
Bollenbach noted that the schedule for the first round of the tournament – which kicks off in Canada at Toronto's BMO Field on June 12, 2026, followed by a match at BC Place in Vancouver the next day – won't be known until FIFA conducts its draw in December. That is when fans will learn where their teams are playing their three group stage matches, prior to the knockout round. Toronto will host one of the round-of-32 knockout games. Vancouver will host one round-of-32 match and one round-of-16 match.
'Until we know the countries that are specifically coming to our cities, there's not a lot we can do,' said Bollenbach.
'When the draw happens and we know what countries are playing here, that will unlock and cascade a lot of things for us in terms of planning, and part of that will be the travel plans and the marketing plan that we want to do to the countries that are playing here. We'll have to figure out if they're on that travel ban list.'
She pointed out that fans from the 19 countries named in the executive order will still be free to travel to Canada. Iran is the only country in that group whose team has already qualified for the tournament.
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Last month, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said foreigners are welcome to attend the tournament, but warned: 'When the time is up, they'll have to go home, otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem,' referring to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Bollenbach spoke ahead of an event scheduled for Thursday evening at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square marking one year from kickoff, at which dignitaries will unveil an official FIFA World Cup 26 Toronto Countdown Clock. Toronto mayor Olivia Chow proclaimed Thursday 'Soccer Day,' and encouraged Torontonians to turn out to the event wearing jerseys of their favourite teams.
Chow has been critical of the agreement the city signed with FIFA as well as the escalating cost of hosting the event, which is now pegged at $380-million. In recent weeks she has warned that tariffs could add to the costs, and she has said the city, which is already on the hook for almost $179-million, might need to ask the province and federal government for more money than they have already committed.
She has also alleged that the Ontario government is putting too high a value on the services included in the calculations of its $97-million pledge, leaving the city to make up a $39-million shortfall.
The city and province are currently in negotiations over the dispute.