Trump invites global fans to World Cup and Olympics as US tightens visa policies

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(Corrects to remove language in first paragraph that Trump made no mention of his migration crackdown in UN speech)

By Doyinsola Oladipo

NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he hopes “countless people from all over the globe” will attend the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics hosted by the United States.

Overseas travel to the U.S. fell 2.9% year-on-year in August to about 3.5 million visitors, according to preliminary U.S. government data. It was the sixth month this year that travel declined from a year ago, bucking the global tourism trend and defying expectations that in 2025 annual inbound visitors would finally surpass the pre-pandemic level of 79.4 million.

In a wide-ranging speech, Trump said next year the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence. “We will also be proudly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and shortly thereafter, the 2028 Olympics,” he said.

“It’s going to be very exciting. I hope you all come. I hope that countless people from all over the globe will take part.”

More than 1.5 million ticket applications from fans in 210 countries were received by FIFA for the World Cup within 24 hours of the presale draw, the governing body of world soccer said earlier this month. The 48-team tournament will be hosted by Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and will feature 104 matches across 16 host cities.

But a U.S. trip may be expensive and complicated for many.

Visitors from non-visa waiver countries face a $250 “visa integrity fee,” on top of the existing fee, with travelers already navigating long average visa wait times. Such visitors face an average 169 days for a B-1/B-2 tourism or business visa interview, according to data from the U.S. State Department.

That will hit fans from countries that traditionally send a large contingent to the World Cup, including Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.

Global ticket demand for the tournament came primarily from the three host countries, followed by Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, according to FIFA.

Tourists from visa-waiver countries – mostly in Europe – will not need to pay the new fee, but industry experts say some are being put off U.S. vacations by fears of being stopped at the border after a number of widely publicized cases.

The White House is also looking to tighten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media, according to a proposed government regulation issued in August.

The 2028 Summer Olympics is set to be held in Los Angeles, California, in July 2028. 

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)