Overview
- Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the U.S. antisemitism envoy, said the United States will refuse entry to people accused of promoting antisemitism who try to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Kaploun said decisions will be made individually through standard visa and travel vetting rather than by nationality or team affiliation.
- No formal criteria or public list of who could be barred has been released, leaving questions for visiting officials, delegations, and fans.
- He cited recent soccer flashpoints as examples of conduct that could draw denial, including violence tied to matches in Amsterdam and Aston Villa’s move to keep Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters out of a game.
- FIFA’s Gianni Infantino and a White House World Cup official said Iran is expected to compete, underscoring the diplomatic stakes as the policy is applied across a 48‑team tournament hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.