Côte d'Ivoire fans to skip World Cup due to difficulties obtaining US visas

Côte d'Ivoire fans will forgo attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup in person due to difficulties obtaining visas for the United States. The president of the Côte d'Ivoire National Committee of Supporters criticized US immigration policies.

According to AFP on Thursday, Côte d'Ivoire will participate in the FIFA World Cup for the first time without its own fans in attendance, as supporters have been unable to obtain US visas. The president of the National Supporters Committee, which is usually responsible for organizing travel, expressed regret. Trump's strict immigration policies have also created difficulties for some countries entering the US, even affecting on-field personnel. Somali referee Omar-Artan was denied entry last Saturday despite holding a valid visa.

Julien Kouadio-Adonis, president of the Côte d'Ivoire National Committee of Supporters, complained: "Fans have abandoned their travel plans because the US government does not want supporters from certain countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, to enter the country. The US side has explicitly told us that they do not want to see our fans."

"We could have showcased our culture."

The head of the organization, which is supervised by the Ministry of Sports, added: "This deeply saddens us because it prevents us from fulfilling our duty, which is to support our team. We could have showcased our culture and our fans’ organizational capabilities in the stands."

Currently, only a few officials from the Côte d'Ivoire National Committee of Supporters have been granted permission to travel to the United States. When Côte d'Ivoire previously participated in the FIFA World Cup three times (2006, 2010, 2014) and the Africa Cup of Nations, the organization typically sent dozens of fans. Kouadio told AFP in March that he hoped to bring 500 fans across the Atlantic.

Kouadio stated that the mission of the dozen or so National Supporters Committee officials permitted to travel is to "coordinate Côte d'Ivoire fans in the United States." He also said that, even for this delegation, "getting visas was not easy at all; it required repeated communication and negotiation to get them to listen." As a result, Côte d'Ivoire can only rely on expatriate fans living there. The National Supporters Committee estimates that there are over 1,000 expatriate Côte d'Ivoire fans in the United States.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned earlier this year, "Your ticket is not a visa." The exorbitantly high ticket prices, coupled with these restrictions, have also sparked criticism that this FIFA World Cup is disconnected from ordinary fans. Two of Côte d'Ivoire's three group stage matches will be held in the United States: against Ecuador and Curaçao in Philadelphia on June 15 and June 25, respectively. Their other group stage match will be against Germany in Toronto, Canada, on June 20.