Trump's Travel Ban Ambiguity on International Sporting Events in the US

WASHINGTON, SATURDAY - President of the United States Donald Trump has imposed a travel ban on 12 countries. This policy is believed not to disrupt the organization of two major sporting events in the U.S., the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, ambiguity still surrounds the ban, leaving no guarantees that other sporting events will not be affected.

In addition to the Olympics and the World Cup, the United States will also host the Concacaf Gold Cup from June to July 2025. Haiti is among the participants in the tournament, but it is still unclear whether its athletes will be allowed to enter the United States.

This is because Haiti is one of the 12 countries affected by Trump's travel ban. Other countries include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Meanwhile, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are subject to partial bans.

Unlike the Concacaf Gold Cup, which is shrouded in uncertainty, the 2028 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup are expected to proceed smoothly without being hindered by Trump's travel ban policy. The Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Nicole Hoevertsz, stated that no participating countries in the Olympics will be affected by the new policy.

"Two hundred six countries are preparing to come to the Olympics. The federal government has assured us of this to ensure that these participants will be able to enter the country. We are very confident that this will be achieved," said Nicole.

Nicole's conviction is based on the fourth section of Trump's travel ban. The regulations issued by the US Government state that any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, individuals performing essential support roles, and close relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting events as determined by the US Secretary of State may still travel to the United States.

Ambiguity has arisen because the U.S. Department of State did not provide further details regarding the phrase "other major sporting events." During a press conference, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott also did not specify the major sporting events in question. This has led to doubts about Haiti's ability to participate in the Concacaf Gold Cup.

"I believe that people around the world, and Americans attending these events, want to see actions like this. This is part of what it means to host an event. We are very serious about addressing security issues; we want people to be able to attend the World Cup and do so safely," said Pigot, as quoted by BBC Sport.

The phrase "World Cup" mentioned by Pigott is also unclear. The updated FIFA Club World Cup, featuring the 32 best club teams in the world, will take place in the United States from June 14 to July 13. A total of 10 players from countries with travel restrictions are recorded to strengthen several participating clubs.

Furthermore, track and field athletes often travel to the United States to participate in training camps in preparation for major competitions. Although the exemption clarifies that athletes from affected countries can travel to the 2028 Olympics, it does not provide certainty regarding whether the athletes can attend training camps before the Olympics commence.

The travel ban policy is not the first time it has been proposed by Trump. During his first term, Trump implemented a broad travel ban on several countries, most of which have a majority Muslim population.

At that time, the Major League Soccer Players Union expressed that they were very concerned about the footballers who might be affected and that they were "very disappointed." Trump's anti-immigrant policies have also prevented some athletes from other countries from participating in scheduled events held in the United States.

In 2017, the Tibetan women's soccer team was denied a visa to attend the Dallas Cup in Texas. In 2019, nine players from the Guatemala U-15 national soccer team were denied entry to participate in the Concacaf U-15 Championship, and Cuba's captain, Yordan Santa Cruz, was denied his visa for the 2019 Gold Cup.

FIFA had warned Trump that the travel ban could hinder the joint efforts of the United States to host the 2026 World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted that in all FIFA competitions, supporters and staff of teams qualifying for the World Cup must have access to the United States. Otherwise, there would be no World Cup. The travel ban was eventually lifted by Trump's successor, Joe Biden, in 2021. (REUTERS)