The World Cup is approaching fast. The global soccer tournament will begin on June 11 and conclude on July 19, and is expected to draw in around ten million visitors.
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The games will be split between the US, Mexico, and Canada. The US will host the majority of the games across eleven US cities, supported by three host cities in Mexico and two in Canada. Given the schedule, a majority of attendees will be staying in the United States or will pass through.
On April 23, 2026, a coalition of over 120 civil organizations banded together to release a travel advisory for foreign nationals heading into the United States. The group includes high-impact and far-reaching rights groups, including the ACLU and Amnesty International.
Here’s what we know about the travel advisory. And here’s why it’s not as wild as it sounds.
Previous travel advisories for FIFA World Cup tournaments
Before I dive into the details of the advisory issued for this upcoming FIFA World Cup, let’s backtrack to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Qatar. The tournament also received negative press prior to its launch, largely due to allegations of human rights infringements in Qatar.
Two core issues were the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar, who often work long hours for very little pay and live in unsanitary, crowded quarters, and the LGBTQ-facing laws. Homosexuality is a crime in Qatar, and, in keeping with Qatari culture and law, FIFA banned rainbow-colored armbands.
Some teams even protested these conditions, including national teams from Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands. They wore t-shirts during qualifying games that read ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’. Others went as far as to attempt to boycott the World Cup—with the Danish royal family and government officials refusing to attend.
In short, the recent travel advisory issued for the FIFA World Cup in North America isn’t the first of its kind. If you want to learn more about the 2022 World Cup, check out this thorough report from Montclair University.
Inside the World Cup travel advisory
You can read through the full travel advisory via ACLU. Scroll to the bottom to read through the organizations that are involved. Here’s a short summary: the report advises that international visitors could face legal and social dangers when attending the World Cup in the United States.
This includes: arbitrary denial of entry, potential arrest or deportation, travel restrictions, social media screening, potentially violent immigration enforcement (including ICE detention), suppression of speech, and additional risk for those from racial and ethnic minority groups.
The report goes on to lay out how visitors can stay safe. That includes securing electronic devices, keeping family and loved ones updated on their itineraries, and downloading Human Rights First’s ReadyNow! App.
Unsurprisingly, the report has been condemned by travel groups and companies. U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman has taken a strong stance, stating that while visa fees, social media screening, and foreign policy have made the US a less attractive destination for many, the position that the US is unsafe for visitors only damages the country’s reputation.
