"We Are Being Made to Look Like Fools": How Trump Is Weaponizing World Cup Visas
Soccer stars with the wrong passport—or complexion—now have to worry about getting to play at all.
Alex Nguyen
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Meanwhile, the men’s national team of South Africa, a frequent target of the Trump administration over “white genocide” claims, had to delay their Saturday flight from Johannesburg to Mexico City because at least 20 people in their traveling group—mainly players—were still trying to get the US embassy in that country to process their visas.
On Sunday, Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s sports, arts and culture minister, announced that all of the national team players had received their visas to travel to the US, but that an assistant coach, team doctor, the head of security, and one team analyst were still waiting. McKenzie criticized the situation earlier that day, calling it “embarrassing & grossly unfair towards the players & coaching staff.”
“Action must be taken against those responsible for this mess,” he continued. “We are being made to look like fools.”
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The Trump administration has a record of denying international athletes visas, including members of an Ethiopian delegation to the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, whose 44-year medal streak was broken by a mass visa denial in January. Multiple Cuban sports delegations have also been locked out of sports competitions since 2025 by the US’ refusal to grant them visas—including Olympic qualification events. And according to Television Jamaica, Javontae Smith, a shotput and discus thrower from Munro College in Jamaica, was denied a US nonimmigrant visa last month to compete in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/trump-uscis-world-cup-visa-denial-ban-soccer-football-embassy/
I don't know what it is typically like for athletes to travel to events like the Olympics or World Cup to know how unusual this is.