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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Will visa delays and border fears keep international fans away from the Club World Cup in the US?
As the United States readies for the FIFA Club World Cup, concern over such things as international travel, fan safety and even economic uncertainty threaten to diminish enthusiasm for the tournament. The United States will see the arrival of 32 professional club teams from around the globe to 11 cities for the tournament. There's a $1 billion prize pool. The Club World Cup is considered in many ways to be a dress rehearsal for the big event, the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. But there seems to be little buzz for the Club World Cup at home or abroad. The expansion of the field from seven to 32 teams has diminished the exclusivity of the event, and ticket sales appear slow. At the same time, the tournament is being played amid reports of foreign tourists being detained and visa processing delays. Chaotic U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and President Donald Trump's travel bans aren't exactly reassuring international fans, either. Trump's policies appear to have already impacted travelers. The National Travel and Tourism Office released data showing visitors to the U.S. from foreign countries fell 9.7% in March compared to the same month last year. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics has predicted that international arrivals would decline 9.4% this year. The U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit group that represents the travel industry, has urged the Trump administration to improve such things as visa processing and customs wait times ahead of a series of big sporting events on U.S. soil, including the Club World Cup beginning June 14, the Ryder Cup later this year, next summer's World Cup, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Association President Geoff Freeman said, for example, that the wait in Colombia for a visa interview appointment is upwards of 18 months — already putting the 2026 World Cup out of reach for some travelers. He said his organization is working with the White House's World Cup Task Force to address issues. 'They (the task force) recognize how important this event is: success is the only option. So we're eager to work with them to do whatever it is we need to do to ensure that we can welcome the millions of incremental visitors that we think are possible,' Freeman said. 'But these underlying issues of visa and customs, we've got to address.' Column: Pride and community at Chicago White Sox's Mexican Heritage Night game amid immigration crackdownsSecretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing last month, suggested consular staff could be put on longer shifts and that artificial intelligence could be used to process visas. 'We want it to be a success. It's a priority for the president,' said Rubio. But the Trump administration may have added to the concerns for international visitors by issuing a ban on travelers from 12 countries, with restrictions on travel from nine more countries. Iran, one of the countries named, has qualified for the World Cup. The proclamation included an exemption for 'any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.' It did not mention fans. There are signs current immigration policies were already impacting soccer fans and spurring worries over safety. A Latin American supporters group in Nashville stayed away from a recent Major League Soccer game because of ICE activity in the city. The city's Geodis Park is set to host three Club World Cup matches. Danny Navarro, who offers travel advice to followers on his social media platforms under the moniker TravelFutbolFan, said the World Cup Task Force announcement did not allay fears about travel, especially when Vice President JD Vance said, 'We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to (Homeland Security) Secretary (Kristi) Noem.' That insinuated fans visiting the United States for the World Cup could use it to stay in the country, which is nonsensical, Navarro maintained. For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are broadly viewed as higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning. Navarro put the onus on FIFA. 'They must know that there is an anxiety among international travelers wanting to come in. They must know there's an anxiety among the U.S. fan base that is multicultural and wanting to go to all these places. Are they going to? Are they going to be harassed by ICE?' Navarro said. 'There is just a lot of uncertainty, I would say, too much uncertainty, that the fan base doesn't want to think about.' It remains to be seen how outside factors will ultimately impact the Club World Cup, which is not the global spectacle or draw that the World Cup is. Ticket sales, which were based on a dynamic pricing model, appear to be slow, with lowered prices from earlier this year and a slew of recent promotions. For a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Botafogo at the Rose Bowl on June 19, there were wide swaths of available seats going for $33.45. FIFA created an incentive program that says fans who buy two or more tickets to the Club World Cup 'may' be guaranteed the right to purchase one ticket to the World Cup next summer. Navarro said economic uncertainty and fears of inflation may make fans hesitant to spend their money on the Club World Cup — when the more desirable World Cup is looming. What the Trump travel ban means for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in the USIn some host cities, there's little sign the Club World Cup is happening. A light rail station in Seattle had a lone sign advertising the event. The Seattle Sounders are among the teams playing in the tournament. Hans Hobson, executive director of the Tennessee State Soccer Association, suggested part of the problem is that, unlike the national teams that play in the World Cup, some of the club teams playing in Nashville are just not known to U.S. fans. 'It's not leagues that they watch. If it was the Premier League or the Bundesliga or something like that, then they'd go, 'Oh, I know players there. Let's go check it out,' Hobson said. There were tickets available to LAFC's match against Esperance Sportive de Tunisie in Nashville on June 20 for $24.45. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has traveled to several host cities to gin up enthusiasm. He has promised 'the world will be welcomed.' But some say the United States isn't exactly rolling out the red carpet for visitors in the current climate. 'I could see trepidation for anyone looking to travel to the U.S. at this current political climate,' said Canadian national team coach Jesse Marsch. 'So it's a sad thing, I think, that we have to talk about visiting the U.S. in this way but I think everybody has to make decisions that are best for them and that fit best with what's going on in their life and their lifestyle.'
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Pride and community at Sox Mexican Heritage Night game amid immigration crackdowns
There are few things more American than baseball. But on a recent Mexican Heritage Night at Rate Field, it was something more layered, more defiant and deeply moving. Amid the crack of bats and the roar of the crowd, this sliver of the South Side of Chicago felt like it belonged — completely — to its people. To the vendors shouting in Spanish, the kids in their Sox jerseys, the swaying to mariachi in the stands. The smell of and the sound of Banda music coming from the parking lot. They were all there to watch baseball and to celebrate their culture despite the newfound fear sparked by immigration crackdowns in the city of Chicago and its surroundings. In that space, at a Sox game against the Kansas City Royals, for a few sacred hours, joy roared louder than fear. To be sure, few places feel completely safe for Mexicans nowadays. Many now have strong roots in Chicago, their families are a mix of U.S. citizens and loved ones who are lacking permanent legal status. That means that most times, everyone is on high alert. For many Chicagoans, deportations are starting to hit home. Just last Wednesday, an estimated 20 people were rounded up during surprise check-ins at the federal agency's Intensive Supervision Appearance Program offices in Chicago. Similar arrests were reported that day in New York, San Jose and Birmingham. More reports of raids at suburban factories spread through the end of the week. So for many, it is a strange, almost surreal thing to celebrate their roots in a public arena these days. In a country where anti-immigrant rhetoric has again tightened its grip, where deportation raids are haunting families like shadows on back porches, where policies continue to dehumanize under the guise of 'law and order,' showing pride can feel like an act of rebellion. While the White Sox as an organization steers clear of making overt political statements, its commitment is to create an inclusive, welcoming environment, said Sheena Quinn, vice president of public relations for the White Sox. Quinn said that nights like these are not about politics, but about community — about making sure every fan feels seen, valued and celebrated. ,' as my Mexican grandfather said. The team of the people. There's a reason these nights matter. They aren't just cultural marketing or feel-good footnotes. They are necessary sanctuaries — moments of unapologetic presence. In a time when neighbors who lack permanent legal status are being disappeared from their jobs or at immigration hearings, when headlines reduce human beings to statistics or threats, to be seen and celebrated in the open air of a stadium is no small thing. And the beauty of baseball is that it offers something like solidarity, even if unspoken. You can sit next to someone you might never talk to on the street — an old-school South Sider, a first-gen college kid, a Polish grandma, a Mexican father with his daughters — and for nine innings, you're all just fans. The field becomes neutral ground. The flags waving — U.S. and Mexican — remind us that identity isn't binary. It's layered, sometimes conflicted, always rich. There's healing in that. And hope. Because joy, in the face of trauma, is a kind of resistance. Celebrating your culture in the open, without apology or permission, is its own form of protest. And when a community gathers — not in mourning or defense, but in celebration — it says something powerful: We're still here. We belong. So yes, the night ended like any other ballgame. Final score posted. Sox won 2-7 and had a majestic fireworks show while '' by Vicente Fernández played in the background. Fans trailed out to their cars. But what lingered wasn't just a win or a loss. It was a sense of collective breath — a reminder that joy isn't frivolous. It's fuel. It's armor. And in the face of everything this country continues to throw at immigrant communities, that joy under stadium lights may be the most radical thing of all.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Big-league dream becomes reality for Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel: ‘I'm trying to soak it all in'
Kyle Teel arrived at Rate Field around 11 a.m. Friday, several hours ahead of his big-league debut. 'When you walk in the locker room and you see your nameplate on your locker, it's like, 'Wow. I did it. I'm here and I'm ready to go,'' Teel said Friday afternoon. The Chicago White Sox officially promoted the catcher to the majors ahead of the series opener against the Kansas City Royals. Reports of the move first surfaced Thursday evening. 'This is a dream come true,' Teel said. 'I'm trying to soak it all in. It's something I worked my whole life for. It's really special.' Teel, 23, is ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Sox organization by which also lists him as the No. 26 prospect in baseball. He has a .295/.394/.492 slash line with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 30 RBIs, 34 runs and 30 walks in 50 games with Triple-A Charlotte. Teel reached base safely in 38 of his last 39 games for the Knights since April 10. 'I would just say that working hard and being consistent with my process every single day is what I did and I don't expect that to stop,' Teel said. 'Just keep the head down and keep working hard. I think that's a big part of my game, just being a hard-nosed ballplayer. That's what I'm going to do.' General manager Chris Getz said of Teel's promotion: 'A lot of it was just Kyle's production, quite honestly.' 'You're always trying to fine-tune every aspect of your game and you look at what he was doing behind the plate from a receiving standpoint, the feedback from our coaches and players that the game-calling, the game management was in a really good spot,' Getz said. 'And then you look at his offensive output, which has been really strong now for a stretch. He just continues to put together quality at-bats with power, getting on base, making good decisions. 'So you're looking at a fairly well-rounded player. Obviously as he transitions to the major-league level, there's always going to be adjustments. We feel he's in a good spot.' Teel joins Edgar Quero as options for the Sox behind the plate after the club optioned catcher Korey Lee to Charlotte. 'You're talking about a tandem that's a young tandem that's probably one of the strongest in baseball,' Getz said. 'It's not easy to send down a player like Korey Lee, because he's talented as well. You look at the catch and throw and the athleticism that he has.' Photos: Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals on Mexican Heritage Night at Rate FieldLee has a .250 average with three doubles, one RBI and seven runs in 14 games. He was on the injured list from April 10-May 27 with a sprained left ankle. 'He has made a strong impression and those conversations are never easy,' Getz said of Lee. 'He was disappointed, as you would expect. I have the utmost confidence that he's going to go down there and perform well and work on all facets of his catching game and certainly offensively. 'The catching position is what we feel like is a strength of the organization considering that we have two catchers at the major league-level and a catcher like Korey at Triple A.' Manager Will Venable said Teel and Quero will split time. 'I think you may see them match up a little bit,' Venable said. 'But we're comfortable with (left-handed hitting) Kyle facing lefties and obviously (Quero) being a switch-hitter we're comfortable with him on both sides of the plate. 'And excited about them catching all of our pitchers. So just understanding the demands of that position are extremely high, so I think just making sure that they can both split the load is the way we'll go into this.' Teel was one of the four players the Sox acquired — along with infielder Chase Meidroth, outfielder Braden Montgomery and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez — in the December trade that sent pitcher Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. Meidroth and Teel were both in Friday's lineup, with Teel at catcher and batting sixth. 'This is something I dreamed about since I was a little kid,' Teel said. 'Everything I worked for comes up to this point. So, this is awesome.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago White Sox GM Chris Getz wants to ‘stay on track and stay disciplined' in wake of sale agreement
Chris Getz has spent 'a little bit of time' with Justin Ishbia. 'More of a casual encounter than anything,' the Sox general manager said Friday afternoon at Rate Field. 'Seems like a very knowledgeable person when it comes to the game. I know he's got a passion for baseball.' Getz pointed out a commonality between the two of coming from the metro Detroit area and making their way to Chicago. 'So there's always something to talk about,' Getz said. 'We used to root for the Tigers and now we despise the Tigers — but I could just say that about myself, I can't speak for him.' Getz discussed the immediate impact of Thursday's announcement that Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf had reached a long-term investment agreement that establishes a framework for Ishbia to obtain a future controlling interest in the Sox. 'My conversations are with Jerry, they'll remain with Jerry,' Getz said. 'The day-to-day operations are as is. And I know that the announcement yesterday caught a significant amount of attention. I think that speaks to Jerry's long-term vision and commitment to this organization. 'And it certainly aligns with baseball operations and how we've approached things and been committed to building the foundation of this organization. And building from the ground up. Both from an infrastructure standpoint and then the development of our players, whether it be through the minor leagues and now at the big leagues.' Getz said his attention is 'on 2025 and supporting Will Venable and others in the organization.' 'I certainly don't want us to get ahead of ourselves,' Getz said. 'I'm looking at the next three years, quite honestly. That's the healthiest way to stay on track and stay disciplined to the plan we have in place.' As part of the agreement, Ishbia will make capital infusions into the Sox as a limited partner in 2025 and 2026 that will be used to pay down existing debt and support ongoing team operations. Photos: Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals on Mexican Heritage Night at Rate FieldThe Reinsdorf family continues to own controlling interest in the Sox. And Reinsdorf remains the sole day-to-day decisionmaker. 'Right now we're focused on the work we've been doing,' Getz said. 'Regardless of an announcement like yesterday, it doesn't change my approach, our approach of building from within. And in due time when we want to round out the roster and make additions, we'll have those conversations and we know we'll be supported. 'But in the meantime, it's about continuing to acquire the best players that we can and the mechanisms you're given in this game and grow those players and build them up to be successful major-league players.' Column: Jerry Reinsdorf's clumsy handoff of the Chicago White Sox only adds to his checkered baseball legacyReinsdorf will have the option to sell the controlling interest to Ishbia from 2029 to 2033. After the 2034 season, Ishbia will have the option to acquire the controlling interest. Getz took over as general manager in August 2023. 'The last year and a half, the conversations we've had with Jerry — and we'll continue to have those conversations on areas that need to be improved — he's been nothing short of fantastic in regards to giving us the support,' he said. 'I look at what we've accomplished on the international side. You look at (research and development) support. You look at how we're supporting our major-league club and player development. 'We're going to continue to talk as a group and find ways to improve. We've been supported, and I'm confident we'll continue to be supported.' Getz kept the focus on the field, including Friday's addition of the organization's No. 2 prospect, Kyle Teel, to the major-league roster. 'A great example is welcoming Kyle Teel here, the continued development of Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth and what he's done on the field,' Getz said. 'And then on the mound with our starter, Sean Burke had an excellent start, a huge start for us (Thursday against the Detroit Tigers). Considering where we are from a pitching-inning standpoint in our bullpen, he really stepped up. 'So there's just wonderful moments to see for whether it be myself or others in the organization, hopefully our fans to see these guys grow up, beginning to grow up at the major-league level. And it just goes back to this commitment from within at the top of really having this long-term approach for the Chicago White Sox.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Photos: Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals on Mexican Heritage Night at Rate Field
Photos from the Chicago White Sox-Kansas City Royals game on Mexican Heritage Night at Rate Field on June 6, 2025.
