The latest decisions by Donald Trump’s administration on immigration once again place sport in a space where politics, international image and social sensitivity inevitably intersect. The inclusion of a long list of competitions in the visa exemption regime, after weeks of restrictions that even affected athletes, comes at a particularly delicate moment for the United States, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games on the horizon.

The US government has confirmed that athletes, coaches and support staff linked to events considered “major” will be able to enter the country, even if they come from states affected by the bans. The list includes all Olympic and Paralympic competitions and qualifying events, as well as tournaments endorsed by FIFA and by US national federations. At the same time, the State Department itself has clarified that the exemption will be limited and that foreign fans, media and sponsors will continue to face barriers if they do not meet other requirements.

Venezuela and Cuba

The adjustment comes after several cases of entry refusals —including athletes from countries such as Venezuela or Cuba— generated criticism within the international sporting community and concern among major event organisers. Both the LA28 organising committee and the International Olympic Committee had conveyed the need to guarantee smooth access so that planning and participation would not be compromised.

Casey Wasserman (LA28) and Donald Trump.

In parallel, US immigration policy has also introduced changes that specifically affect transgender athletes, with guidelines that consider certain sporting backgrounds as a negative factor in the assessment of highly qualified visa applications. This line connects with the domestic debate in the United States over eligibility and participation in sport, but when projected onto the international stage, it adds a further layer of complexity to a scenario that is officially presented as open and inclusive.

The broader context is that of an administration maintaining a restrictive strategy on immigration, with suspensions in the processing of certain visas and reinforced controls, while at the same time seeking to ensure that major sporting events can take place without visible friction. The balance between these two objectives is not always easy to achieve and requires adjustments along the way.

Football, passion and the backdrop

All of this also unfolds with football as the backdrop. This is no minor detail. The World Cup is probably the sporting event with the greatest emotional and symbolic weight on a global scale, capable of mobilising countries, fans and entire communities. Any decision that directly or indirectly affects the mobility of its protagonists or those who follow it is perceived in an amplified way, because it touches a space that many regard as universal and shared.

In that sense, beyond the specific scope of the exemptions or the restrictions that remain in force, the debate is not limited to an administrative issue. It also relates to the image projected by a host country when managing access to an event that, in a way, belongs to the whole world. How these moves are interpreted —as a necessary correction, as a pragmatic adjustment or as a sign of tension between politics and sport— will be left to the reader and, over time, to the way events themselves unfold.