In the wake of the opening of the 2026 World Cup, the context remains shaped by difficulties seen in recent weeks around entry formalities, particularly in the United States: delays or uncertainty surrounding some visas, ESTA authorizations that travelers are advised to check up to departure, refusals affecting travelers or representatives connected to the tournament, and even cases in which sports officials were unable to enter the U.S. despite having taken the required steps.
Without calling into question the facilitation measures promoted by authorities and organizers, these episodes are a reminder that fast-track programs, electronic travel authorizations and trusted traveler status do not replace the sovereign review carried out by national authorities.
It is against this backdrop that the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has released a new research on 20 years of visa and border management evolution at FIFA World Cups. The organization says the 2026 edition, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, marks a new step toward smoother, more digital and more secure cross-border travel.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup does not create a common visa for the three host countries. Nor does it exempt fans from the entry formalities specific to the United States, Canada and Mexico. But according to the WTTC, it illustrates a deeper shift: major sporting events are becoming testing grounds for more advanced borders, based on pre-screening, digital identity and trusted traveler programs.
A World Cup across three countries, but not a single travel area
The 2026 edition is the largest FIFA World Cup ever staged, with 48 teams and matches spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico. This format makes entry formalities particularly sensitive: the same fan may need to travel from one host country to another during the tournament, without benefiting from a common travel regime comparable to the Schengen Area.
Each country therefore retains its own rules.
For the United States, travelers must have, depending on their nationality and situation, either a visa or an ESTA authorization under the Visa Waiver Program. According to the latest data from U.S. authorities, more than 5.9 million ESTA applications were submitted in the run-up to the tournament, with more than 5 million approvals allowing visa-free travel.
In Canada, visitors must obtain either a visitor visa or an electronic Travel Authorization, known as an eTA, before arrival. Canadian authorities have encouraged applicants traveling for the tournament to mention “FIFA World Cup 26” in their application to help facilitate processing.
Mexico, for its part, allows visa-free entry for nationals of more than 65 countries for stays of up to 180 days. The country also waives tourist visa requirements for certain travelers holding a valid visa or residence permit issued by the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom or a Schengen Area country.
“Trusted travelers” at the heart of the 2026 framework
For the WTTC, the main innovation in 2026 is not the creation of a special World Cup visa, but the growing role of trusted traveler programs.
For Gloria Guevara, WTTC President and CEO, this evolution reflects a change in the role borders can play during major international events.
“The FIFA World Cup has consistently demonstrated that border management can evolve from a barrier into an enabler of global connectivity,” she said.
According to Guevara, the evolution seen from the 2006 tournament in Germany to the 2026 edition reflects “the emergence of a new model for travel,” based on systems that are “digital, secure and seamless at scale.”
In the United States, Global Entry, SENTRI and NEXUS allow pre-approved travelers considered low-risk to benefit from expedited screening at certain airports or land borders. According to the study, more than 1.6 million applications linked to these programs were processed in the months leading up to the tournament.
Global Entry allows certain international travelers to use automated kiosks or eGates upon arrival in the United States. SENTRI facilitates land border crossings into the United States, particularly from Mexico. NEXUS, a joint program run by U.S. and Canadian authorities, expedites screening between the two countries for eligible travelers.
Mexico also has its own program, Viajero Confiable, open in particular to Mexican nationals as well as U.S. and Canadian citizens enrolled in Global Entry or NEXUS. Members can use automated kiosks and dedicated immigration lanes at participating Mexican airports.
In Canada, NEXUS members can also use kiosks or eGates on arrival. For other visitors, the ArriveCAN app allows travelers to complete their customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours before arrival, giving them access to express lanes at selected airports, including in the host cities of Toronto and Vancouver.
FIFA PASS and COMPASS: Helping fans without removing the rules
The WTTC study also highlights two tools linked to travel facilitation for the United States: FIFA PASS and COMPASS.
FIFA PASS, short for Priority Appointment Scheduling System, is a voluntary program introduced by FIFA in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. It allows verified ticket holders to request a priority appointment for a B2 tourist visa interview at participating U.S. embassies and consulates. The ticket holder’s spouse and children may also be eligible for an expedited appointment if they appear with the principal applicant.
This appointment priority should not, however, be confused with a guarantee that a visa will be issued. Applicants remain subject to the usual consular review and must meet U.S. entry requirements.
COMPASS, meanwhile, is a digital assistant launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Powered by artificial intelligence, the tool answers questions about U.S. entry requirements, visas, ESTA, Global Entry and other travel programs managed by CBP. According to the study, COMPASS handled more than 25,000 inquiries in its first month of operation.
For travelers, these tools reflect a broader trend: information, screening and preparation increasingly begin before departure, well before the traveler physically reaches the border.
Twenty years of visa evolution at World Cups
The WTTC report places the 2026 World Cup within a longer timeline.
In 2006, Germany had to manage the influx of visitors within the legal framework of the Schengen Area, strengthening consular capacity and deploying specialized teams to handle the increase in visa applications.
In 2010, South Africa introduced the first “event visa” linked to a World Cup, along with advance passenger screening systems. The country notably used Advance Passenger Processing, allowing certain traveler data to be checked before arrival.
In 2014, Brazil adopted a specific World Cup law and created several temporary visa categories tailored to spectators, media, volunteers and officials.
Russia then took the model further in 2018 with the FAN ID, a mandatory document for spectators that served as an entry authorization, stadium access pass and support for certain free public transportation services.
In 2022, Qatar deepened this approach with the Hayya Card, which became the mandatory entry authorization during the tournament period. The system combined entry into the country, stadium access, public transportation, accommodation and fan services. After the tournament, the Hayya platform was transformed into a national e-Visa portal.
A model for future major events?
For the WTTC, the issue extends well beyond the 2026 World Cup. The organization says major international events have become laboratories for transforming visa and border control policies.
The next men’s World Cup, scheduled for 2030, will reinforce this trend: the tournament will be hosted mainly by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with three centenary celebration matches planned in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Such an event, spread across six countries and three continents, will require systems that can communicate more effectively with one another while maintaining strict security controls.
Guevara also says the lessons learned from recent World Cups go beyond soccer.
“Digital identity and strong pre-travel screening can enhance both entry processes and the overall traveller experience,” the WTTC President and CEO said.
She believes that “developing interoperable, multi-jurisdictional systems will be the next frontier,” not only for mega-events but also for international travel, with the goal of making journeys “safer, faster and more seamless journeys for everyone.”
The stated goal is therefore not to eliminate borders, but to make them more predictable. For governments, that means more cooperation, digital identity and pre-departure checks. For travelers, it means a reality already clearly visible in 2026: entry formalities increasingly begin online, several weeks before travel.
