Migration Policy Institute 28d ago

The FIFA 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is the largest in history and first to be co-organized by three countries. Yet for international fans, ever stricter U.S. immigration admissions and enforcement policies have introduced layers of uncertainty around whether they can attend at all. In this episode of World of Migration, host Ariel G. Ruiz Soto speaks with veteran sports journalist Albert Samaha about the World Cup and what its lessons might hold for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. They discuss how travel restrictions could affect fans and players from countries including Iran, Haiti, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire, fears of immigration enforcement on attendance, and what the World Cup experience may reveal ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. 00:00 Intro 03:07 Immigration Enforcement and the FIFA 2026 World Cup 05:27 Travel Bans and the Case of Iran and Other Affected Nations 08:05 Co-Hosting Complications: U.S., Mexico, and Canada 11:07 Visa Barriers and Access Gaps for Global South Fans 15:00 ICE Enforcement Near Stadiums 18:10 Activism, Protest, and the World Cup as a Political Platform 21:34 Lessons for the 2028 LA Olympics