State Department Details Sports‑Event Exemptions to Trump Visa Ban

The State Department has circulated a cable to all U.S. embassies and consulates spelling out which "major sporting events" will be exempt from President Trump’s new visa ban on citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority, beyond the already announced 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Athletes, coaches and support staff for those events—and for competitions run or sanctioned by a long list of governing bodies and U.S. pro leagues, from the IOC, FIFA and Special Olympics to the NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Formula 1, PGA, LPGA, LIV Golf, MLS, UFC, WWE and others—can still obtain visas to compete. Foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors from affected countries generally will not qualify under the exemption and would need some other basis to enter the U.S. The cable emphasizes that only a “small subset” of travelers tied to the World Cup, Olympics and other covered events will meet the exception, implementing a clause in Trump’s proclamation that left it to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to define which competitions qualified. The move attempts to preserve the ability of international athletes and teams to appear at U.S.-hosted events while maintaining the administration’s broader restrictions, but it also means many overseas fans and businesses will remain locked out despite the U.S. hosting the world’s biggest tournaments.