Dreams dashed in America? The US may require football fans from five African countries to pay a $15,000 visa bond to enter the country if they want to attend the 2026 World Cup, as a measure to prevent illegal immigration.
This has become a heated issue shaking the spirit of the 2026 World Cup, as the United States (co-host) announced stricter controls on tourist visas (B1/B2), targeting football fans from several African countries who must pay a "visa bond" worth hundreds of thousands of baht to guarantee they will not overstay.
According to a report by The Athletic, the countries under special scrutiny are Senegal, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, and Tunisia, which have had high rates of overstaying in the past. Fans from these countries may have to pay a visa bond as high as $5,000 to $15,000, or approximately 180,000 to 540,000 baht per person!
The condition is that this money will be refunded only if the traveler leaves the US on time. If they miss the deadline by even one day, the bond will be forfeited immediately.
Fans have voiced that this is a "World Cup for the wealthy?"
This measure has caused great dissatisfaction because 500,000 baht for average fans in Senegal or Algeria might represent an entire year's income or lifetime savings, making attending the matches to support their teams an "unreachable dream" for lower-income individuals.
Furthermore, many question how FIFA could allow such discrimination. The charm of the World Cup includes the vibrant African fans—the drums, dancing, and distinctive costumes. Without their presence, the atmosphere of this World Cup is sure to be much quieter.