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Trump's expedited visa process for 2026 FIFA World Cup
President Trump announced a new priority appointment scheduling system to expedite visa interviews for 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket holders as the U.S. and North Texas prepare to host a record number of matches.
DALLAS - President Trump gave an update on preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ticket sales.
FIFA program to expedite visas
What we know:
The biggest news to come from President Trump’s comments was a system that will let ticket holders for matches in the U.S. be able to move through the visa process more quickly.
"I think it's going to be the greatest, and we are setting records for ticket sales. Nobody's ever really and FIFA hasn't ever," said Trump.
What they're saying:
From the Oval Office on Monday, President Trump and his FIFA task force team announced a new program for World Cup ticket holders, the FIFA priority appointment scheduling system.
"Before I took office, it would often take a year to get a travel visa, but because of the administration's hard work now, more than 80% of the world thinks of that. The wait time for a visa is 60 days or less," said Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said people who have tickets and apply will have a scheduled interview within 6–8 weeks.
Guaranteed faster appointment, not entry
"Your ticket is not a visa. It doesn't guarantee admission to the U.S. It guarantees you an expedited appointment. You're still going to go through the same vetting. We're going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we're moving up in the queue. We're moving them up faster," said Rubio.
People from around the world are looking to get their hands on the 6 million tickets that will be available for games across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Texas prepares for FIFA spotlight
Local perspective:
North Texas will host more matches compared to any other host city, also hosting one of the semi-finals matches.
The World Cup draw will happen in two weeks on December 5. That’s when we will find out what countries will play here in North Texas.
Security funding and vetting priorities
With the world stage in our backyard, homeland security is partnering with local law enforcement to make sure all areas are covered.
"We put out over $600 million worth of grants to the 11 host cities. They'll have the advantage of partnering with technologies and screening technologies, drone technology, counter, UAS as well will be implemented, so we'll be prepared to host it safely," said Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem.
Economic impact and next steps
What's next:
When it comes to security, President Trump said he would ask FIFA to move World Cup games from cities if he believes safety would be an issue, but went on to say he doesn’t think it will be a problem.
From an economic standpoint, the World Cup is estimated to create more than 185,000 jobs.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by President Trump and FOX 4's Steven Dial.