State Department lists major sporting events besides World Cup, Olympics exempt from Trump visa ban
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The Trump administration has unveiled several “major sporting events,” in addition to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban in nearly 40 countries, allowing them to travel to the United States to compete.
In a cable sent Wednesday to all U.S. embassies and consulates, the State Department said athletes, coaches and support staff for the World Cup, the Olympic Games and events supported or directed by a long list of collegiate and professional sports leagues and associations would be excluded from the full and partial travel bans subject to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority.
But foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors wishing to attend events would still be affected by the ban unless they qualify for another exemption.
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The Trump administration has revealed the “major sporting events,” beyond the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
“Only a small subset of travelers to the World Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” the message said.
The federal government has issued several immigration and travel bans as well as other visa restrictions as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to curb immigration, although the administration still wants athletes, coaches and fans to be able to attend major sporting events in the US.
Trump’s proclamation last month banning the issuance of visas to the 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority had included an exception for athletes and staff competing in some sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, and the decision on which other sporting events would be covered would be made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
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Foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors wishing to attend events would still be affected by the ban unless they qualify for another exemption. (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
The events covered, according to the cable, include all competitions and qualifying events for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games and Parapan American Games; events organized, sanctioned or recognized by a US national governing body; all Special Olympics qualifying competitions and events; and official events and competitions organized or supported by FIFA or its confederations.
Official events and competitions organized by the International Military Sports Council, the International Collegiate Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as those organized or supported by US professional sports leagues, such as the National Soccer League, the National Basketball Association and the Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and Little League, National Hockey League, Professional Women’s Hockey League, NASCAR, Formula 1, Professional Golf Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association, LIV Golf, Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate. Fighting Championship and All Elite Wrestling are also covered by the exemption.
Other events and leagues could be added to the list in the future, according to the wire.
Other events and leagues may be added to the list in the future. (Saúl Loeb/News via Getty Images)
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Under the new visa restrictions, a complete travel ban covers citizens of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and people with passports issued by the Palestinian Authority.
A partial ban applies to citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The News contributed to this report.