Fans from five World Cup nations ‘to pay’ up to $15,000 US visa bonds | OneFootball

Supporters from Algeria, Cape Verde, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia face US visa bonds of up to $15,000 for the 2026 World Cup, with FIFA pushing the Trump administration to spare players.

According to The Athletic, a pilot visa-bond scheme begins on 2 April and, with no waiver process, will require every player, coach, staff member and delegate from those five nations to lodge an individual bond, refunded if they depart before their visa expires.

The five qualified teams are among 50 countries covered by the new law. Bonds are expected to be capped at $5,000 for a child and between $10,000 and $15,000 for an adult. The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

FIFA is working on a fallback plan with the US government, including letters of invitation for official delegations that could exempt players, coaches and staff, but not families or supporters.

The scheme has been presented as a deterrent to illegal immigration, with border priorities placed first. Without a remedy, travel could become complicated for Algeria, Cape Verde, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia, all due to play group matches in the United States, including Senegal’s meeting with France on 16 June.

Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal each have two group games in the US, Tunisia have one, while Algeria and Cape Verde are scheduled to play all three there.

Source: L'Équipe