FIFA Unveils 'FIFA Pass': Priority US Visa Processing For 2026 World Cup Ticket Holders

FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the White House this week to announce a new joint initiative with Donald Trump that will offer priority US visa processing for next year’s World Cup ticket holders. The program, designed to streamline entry for international fans, has officially been named “FIFA Pass.”

“FIFA Pass is a prioritized appointment scheduling system,” Infantino told reporters from the Oval Office. “So if you have a ticket for the World Cup, you can lock in a prioritized appointment to get your visa. You said it yourself at our first meeting, Mr. President: America welcomes the world.”

Even with the strict travel restrictions the US government enacted during Trump’s second term, the FIFA chief projects that between 5 and 10 million international visitors will travel to the US for the 2026 tournament. “With this FIFA Pass, we can make sure that legitimate soccer fans who bought tickets can attend the World Cup in the best possible conditions, starting with the visa application process,” he explained.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also joined the press announcement, clarified that security vetting for FIFA Pass applicants will not be loosened. “We’re going to do the same level of vetting that every other applicant gets,” Rubio said. “The only difference here is that we’re moving them up in the queue.”

Put simply, holding a World Cup ticket does not guarantee visa approval, and it does not lower the required visa application fees. The only benefit of the program is a reduced wait time for a consular officer interview. Rubio estimates that FIFA Pass users will wait just six to eight weeks for their interview to be scheduled.

How Does the FIFA Pass Work?

To access this priority perk, applicants must first purchase a valid ticket for 2026 World Cup matches hosted in the United States through official FIFA channels. After securing their ticket, users will log into a dedicated FIFA portal that outlines all required next steps for the expedited visa application process.

To prepare for the expected surge in tourist visa demand ahead of the tournament, Rubio added that the US State Department has deployed more than 400 additional consular officers to posts around the world. Currently, 80 percent of US consulates and embassies can schedule a visa appointment within 60 days, he noted.

Shortly after the FIFA Pass announcement at the same press conference, Trump shared that he was prepared to launch military attacks against Mexico and Colombia to curb cross-border drug trafficking, adding that the option to deploy US troops to Venezuelan territory had not been ruled out.

This story originally appeared in WIRED en Español and has been translated and adapted from the original Spanish.