The US hopes to lay out a giant welcome mat for international tourists at next year's Fifa World Cup but geopolitics and the Trump administration's harsh anti-immigrant stance could discourage some from visiting.
A surge in tourism would bring a boost for businesses after a projected decline in overall visitor numbers since President Donald Trump took office in January. He began a clampdown on illegal immigration but tourists have sometimes become targets of more aggressive border enforcement, ending in long detention for claimed visa breaches.
Next year's World Cup, which will be co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, starts on June 11 and ends with the final on July 19 in New Jersey.
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, leads the White House's Fifa World Cup 2026 Task Force aimed at ensuring the gargantuan event runs flawlessly.
He said on Wednesday that he expects between five and 11 million extra visitors for the World Cup, which will take place in 11 US cities including Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Miami.
“Our message is simple. We can secure our borders while opening our doors to the world,” Mr Giuliani told a media conference.
But Mr Giuliani, who worked in the first Trump administration and frequently plays golf with the President, faced a host of questions about how welcoming the US can really be after nearly a year of harsh comments about other countries, including several that have qualified for the World Cup.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration halted immigration applications from citizens of 19 “high-risk countries”. The same countries had already been subject to a June travel ban for visitor visas.
The list of banned countries includes Haiti and Iran, both of which have qualified for the World Cup. Mr Giuliani said exemptions will allow the teams, their immediate families and support staff to come to the US. But fans would remain subject to travel bans.
“Visas are a national security issue,” he said.
Mr Giuliani said US consulates have hired extra staff and slashed waiting times for visa appointments. For example, Jordan's waiting time has gone from six months to one.
Foreign visits to the US were down 4 per cent for the first six months of the year, according to visa data from the National Travel and Tourism Office. Travel data company Tourism Economics projects a full-year decline of about 6.3 per cent in 2025.
The company estimates that the World Cup could account for about one in three additional foreign visitors to the US next year, which coincidentally is the 250th anniversary of America's founding, a celebration likely to further boost visitor numbers. A World Cup game will take place on July 4 in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
“Could you actually imagine if the United States and England played on July 4 in Philadelphia? Let's see if that actually happens. I hope England doesn't seek revenge on us 250 years later,” Mr Giuliani joked.
The International Trade Administration's National Travel and Tourism Office said tourist spending during the first six months of 2025 was a record $126.9 billion. But that figure does not appear to account for inflation of about 3 per cent, so it would represent a slight drop.
ICE raids?
Latin American migrants living in the US have expressed concerns that the Trump administration might use World Cup games as an opportunity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to ask members of the Latino community about their immigration status or conduct raids outside stadiums.
When asked about this possibility, Mr Giuliani declined to answer directly.
“We want to welcome the world to come here legally,” he said. “That way we also can identify who is here, and that way we can make it safer, not just for American citizens, but the millions of international visitors that are going to come here.”
Security is a top concern for organisers of the World Cup. Mr Giuliani said concerns include the risk of vehicle rammings or an “aerial issue” such as unauthorised drones.
Chaotic scenes unfolded during the 2024 Copa America in Miami, when thousands of fans without tickets rushed the gates of the stadium.
