Visa Issues and the Ebola Outbreak: When the 2026 World Cup Hosts Are Unfriendly

WASHINGTON, FRIDAY – In less than two weeks, the kickoff of the inaugural match of the 2026 World Cup will resonate at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. A total of 48 participants will gradually arrive in the United States, Canada, and Mexico starting next week. However, various issues are still emerging that could threaten the participation of contestants in the largest football festival of its 23rd edition.

Iran. Yes, Iran remains full of uncertainty regarding their participation. From the ongoing situation felt by the Iranian squad, it indicates the failure of the United States to host the 2026 World Cup.

In fact, FIFA has always emphasized to the hosts of their tournaments the importance of protecting the rights of participants. However, what is happening in Iran is, in fact, an undesirable situation for competing on the world’s best football stage.

Iran must relocate its team headquarters from Tucson in the State of Arizona, USA to Tijuana, Mexico. Furthermore, Iran is prohibited from staying in the territory of the USA, even though three group stage matches will be held in two US cities, namely Los Angeles and Seattle.

We still do not know whether they will provide the players with their visas. We are not participating in the World Cup under conditions that are equal to other teams.

The "Tim Melli" squad could only set foot on US soil, which is often referred to as the "Land of Hope," on the day of the match. They must leave the US immediately after the final whistle of the game. If we consider the average preparation time for a team on match day, Iran has a maximum of only four hours in the US on the day of the match.

Although they have relocated their training center and team headquarters, the Iranian squad is still waiting to obtain US visas. They have submitted applications for US visas, as well as for Canada, in Ankara, Turkey, where they have been training since mid-May.

The Iranian Ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, stated that the northern country—referring to the United States—has disrupted Iran's preparations to compete in their seventh World Cup. In addition to the uncertain visa issues, Pasandideh mentioned that the United States has interfered with the performance of Iranian players who are active in the domestic league due to airstrikes since February 28.

"We still do not know whether they will provide the players with their visas. We are not participating in the World Cup under conditions equal to other teams," said Pasandideh in a statement to the media on Thursday (28/5/2026) afternoon local time or Friday (29/5/2026) morning WIB.

Separately, Iran's Minister of Sports Ahmad Donyamali revealed that FIFA has promised that the Iranian squad, including all players and team officials, will soon receive US visas before the first match of the group stage takes place. This was directly promised by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

"FIFA President promises that all our players will receive visas. There is no reason for our players not to obtain their visas. I hope all these conditions can be resolved soon, so that the national team can participate in the tournament with peace of mind," said Donyamali.

He added, “In Mexico, the Iranian national team is expected to have multiple entry visas issued by the US.”

Not only Iran, but the Haiti squad is also affected by the strict visa policies of the United States. Haiti is one of two countries—the other being Iran—that is included in the visa ban imposed by the U.S. Government.

Of the 26 players registered with FIFA, there is one player from Haiti who has not yet received a US visa. He is the young midfielder, Woodernsky Pierre, who plays in the local competition with the Violette club.

A total of 25 other players are representing teams in Europe, the US, and Asia. Interestingly, the forward, Duckens Nazon, who is registered to play for the Iranian team, Esteghlal, has already received a US visa.

Violette is a club based in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. The United States considers the city to be a location controlled by criminal gangs.

Not only Pierre, but also dozens of staff members of the Haiti squad have yet to receive their visas to enter the United States. This situation has left them behind compared to the majority of the squad members who have already been training in the "Land of Uncle Sam." Pierre, who is 21 years old, is training independently in the city of Petion-Ville.

Haiti, one of the representatives of CONCACAF, secured their second appearance at the World Cup since 1974 under less than ideal circumstances. Due to the unfavorable conditions in Port-au-Prince, they played their home qualifying matches in Curacao.

"We hope that he (Pierre) can join the team soon. I hope he does not stay in Haiti after the World Cup. That event is an opportunity for him to showcase his quality to the world and attract contracts from foreign teams," said Thecieux Jeanty, spokesperson for the Haitian Football Federation (FHF).

Meanwhile, the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup have confirmed that they will implement quarantine measures for arrivals from three countries currently affected by the Ebola outbreak, namely the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Specifically for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they are one of the contestants in this year's World Cup.

"The health and safety of everyone in the region remains our top priority as we welcome the World Cup in North America," reads the joint statement from the three countries, Thursday (28/5/2026) local time or Friday (29/5/2026) early morning WIB.

The United States prohibits its own citizens, permanent residents, and travelers from the three countries from entering its territory. Meanwhile, Canada and Mexico require incoming travelers, whether citizens or foreigners, from the three Ebola outbreak countries to undergo a 21-day quarantine.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola outbreak has infected 600 people and caused 139 deaths. The national team's training camp for the 2026 World Cup, which was originally scheduled to be held in the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been canceled.

The Congolese national team has chosen to train and hold a friendly match ahead of the world stage in Belgium. Congo will also participate in their second World Cup. In 1974, they represented Africa when they were still known as Zaire.

"No players who play in domestic competitions have been selected (in the World Cup squad)," said a spokesman for the Congolese national team.

Congolese coach Sebastien Desabre has only included players who are playing abroad. The total consists of 25 players representing European clubs, and one player, Simon Banza, is representing the United Arab Emirates team, Al Jazira.

In Belgium, Congo will play an exhibition match against Denmark on June 3. On June 9, they will face Chile in Spain. After that, they will head to the United States to compete in Group K of the 2026 World Cup.

They will meet Portugal in Houston, USA, on June 17. The second match against Colombia will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico. The final group stage match will be held in Atlanta, USA, against Uzbekistan (REUTERS/AP/AFP).