43 Countries Could End Up Being Banned From 2026 FIFA World Cup, 1 Has Already Qualified
- President Donald Trump has reportedly prepared a 'three-tier' list of nations he might bar from entering the country
- With the United States among the co-hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, no fewer than 43 countries might be blocked from the Mundial
- The proposed travel ban has seen countries divided into three categories - complete travel ban, severely limited and period to resolve specified issues
United States President Donald Trump has reportedly prepared a 'three-tier' list of nations he might bar from entering the country.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico between June 11 and July 19 next year.
The world's football governing body FIFA has already excluded three countries from competing at the Mundial.
Source: Getty Images
Russia was banned from the competition due to the invasion of Ukraine, and Congo due to government interference in football matters and Pakistan for failing to update its PFF constitution, Give Me Sport reports.
Should Trump's travel ban be passed, several countries expected to feature at next year's World Cup would be banned from competing, including Venezuela and Cameroon.
Iran, who have already booked their tickets would have no place at the tournament even though they have qualifiers for finishing top of the AFC Group A table.
According to the New York Times, the travel ban divides countries into three different groups.
The first group faces a complete travel ban. The second has visa issuance for its citizens "severely limited," while the third group is granted a 60-day period to resolve specified issues.
Iran, alongside nations like North Korea and Venezuela, would fall under a complete travel ban, putting their participation in the tournament at serious risk.
Source: Getty Images
Other countries such as Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Sudan could also qualify but might still face potential exclusion.
Although it remains uncertain whether the reported list will be finalised or altered, beIN Sports reports that discussions between the US government and FIFA are already in progress in seeking a solution.
Should they defeat New Zealand on Monday, this international underdog would become the lowest-ranked team ever to qualify for the World Cup.
FIFA threatens to sanction Zambia
Only recently, FIFA threatened to impose an international ban on Zambia following the government's intervention in football administration.
This comes after activities of Match Day 6 of the 2026 FIFA World qualifiers were rounded up across different centres.
The winner of each of the nine groups will directly qualify for the global showpiece, securing nine guaranteed spots for African teams.
Saudi to enforce alcohol ban at 2034 World Cup
Legit.ng earlier reported that the government of Saudi Arabia has reiterated that its longstanding ban on alcohol will remain in place during the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, made the announcement, reinforcing the nation's cultural position on alcohol consumption.
Read also
2026 World Cup: How Nigeria could overtake South Africa to qualify despite draw vs Zimbabwe
The ban, which has been in effect since 1952, prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol in the kingdom.
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Source: Legit.ng
