African fans face World Cup issues despite visa bond U-turn
African fans from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia just got a potential $15,000 (£11,100) reprieve late on Wednesday for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States. The Trump administration confirmed that ticket-holding supporters from those countries "will be exempt from the requirement to post a visa deposit." The sums required for a visa bond range from $5,000 (£3,700) to $15,000.
The five countries were among 50 countries swept up in the requirement, introduced last year. In order to have the bond requirement waived, ticket holders from affected countries must have registered with the online FIFA Pass system by April 15. US assistant secretary of state for consular affairs Mora Namdar said in a statement to the BBC: "We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets."
Supporters from the Ivory Coast and Senegal who did not secure their visas before December will not be granted visitor visas to travel to the US. Some Ghanaians have been denied US entry visas. Some $600 (£444) seats were available for Egypt's game against Belgium via Fifa's official site on Thursday, but those were the only ones on the market under $1,170 (£866) for any of the first 10 games featuring an African side.
Quick Summary
African football fans hoping to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America face a complex set of challenges. Despite a visa bond U-turn for some, many hurdles remain- leaving supporters in a difficult position.
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