Record Arab Participation Marred by Visa Barriers at 2026 World Cup

For the first time in World Cup history, eight Arab nations have qualified for the 2026 tournament—double the number that participated in Qatar 2022. The qualified teams include Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and Jordan. However, this historic milestone coincides with unprecedented geopolitical tensions and severe travel restrictions that are preventing many fans from attending.

The US State Department has suspended visa issuance for nationals from countries with qualified teams, including Iran and Haiti, which is making its first World Cup appearance since 1974. Iran has been particularly hard hit, with the Iranian Football Federation reporting that thousands of fans had their tickets revoked just before the tournament began. Iranian players and staff have been required to commute from Mexico on match days when games are held on American soil. The head of the Palestinian Football Association was denied entry, while visa denial rates for fans from Jordan exceeded 40 percent despite expedited processing.

Visa barriers extend beyond the Middle East to African nations. Fans from Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Tunisia, and Algeria have faced significant visa rejections. Some fans from these countries faced entry bond requirements as high as $15,000, though the State Department announced in May that it would waive bonds for those with official tickets and FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System approval obtained by April 15—a cutoff that limited its reach. Even approval does not guarantee entry; a Somali referee with an approved visa was denied boarding in Miami.

The restrictions stem from a complex vetting system that includes expanded screening of social media activity, biometric checks using facial-recognition technology, and administrative processing that can extend indefinitely without clear timelines. According to the 2025 DHS AI Use Case Inventory, the Department of Homeland Security employs visa-triaging algorithms and artificial intelligence in decision-making processes. Security experts note these automated systems are reshaping immigration and border crossing regimes globally, often with opaque criteria and limited recourse for applicants.

These barriers represent a stark contradiction: while Arab nations achieve record World Cup representation, geopolitical tensions rooted in the US-Israel conflict with Iran have created unprecedented obstacles for fans and players from the region to participate in what is meant to be a global celebration of sport.