The United States has formally identified a wide range of international and domestic sporting competitions that will be exempt from President Donald Trump’s sweeping visa ban, allowing athletes, coaches and essential support staff to travel to the country even as entry remains restricted for citizens of nearly 40 nations.
According to a State Department cable circulated this week to all US embassies and consulates, the exemptions extend well beyond football’s 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. The move is intended to ensure that major global sporting events hosted in the US can proceed without disruption, despite the administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration and travel standards.
The cable clarifies that only participants directly involved in competitions—athletes, coaches, and essential support personnel—will qualify for the exemption. Foreign spectators, media representatives, sponsors and other attendees from affected countries will remain barred from entry unless they independently qualify under a separate visa exemption.
“Only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics, and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” the cable stated.
Balancing Immigration Policy and Global Sports
The exemption framework stems from a December 16 proclamation by Trump that imposed full or partial visa bans on citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority. While the order was part of a broader crackdown on US entry standards, it explicitly carved out an exception for athletes and staff involved in major sporting events.
The proclamation delegated authority to Marco Rubio to determine which additional competitions would qualify as “major sporting events.” Wednesday’s cable represents the most detailed clarification yet of how that authority will be exercised.
Administration officials have said the policy reflects an effort to avoid diplomatic fallout and logistical chaos ahead of high-profile international tournaments. The US is set to host an unprecedented concentration of global sporting events over the next several years, including the World Cup, the Olympics, and numerous international championships across multiple sports.
Events Covered Under the Exemption
The State Department’s guidance lists a broad range of competitions that will be covered. These include all Olympic and Paralympic competitions and their qualifying events, as well as the Pan-American Games and Para Pan-American Games.
The exemption also applies to events hosted, sanctioned or recognised by a US National Governing Body, and all competitions and qualifying events organised under the Special Olympics.
In football, the exemption covers all official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by FIFA and its regional confederations, reinforcing guarantees already made to participating nations ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Beyond global tournaments, the list extends deep into collegiate and professional sports. It includes competitions hosted or endorsed by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
US Professional Leagues Included
A striking feature of the cable is the inclusion of nearly every major US professional sports league. Athletes and staff associated with the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and National Hockey League will all be eligible for visas under the exemption.
Other covered organisations include NASCAR, Formula 1, the Professional Golf Association, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, LIV Golf, Major League Soccer, Major League Rugby, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and All Elite Wrestling.
The cable notes that additional leagues and competitions may be added in the future, leaving room for further expansion as the US prepares to host more international events.
Who Is Still Barred
Despite the broad sporting exemptions, the policy remains strict for non-participants. Fans, journalists, and sponsors from affected countries will not be allowed to travel to the US to attend these events unless they qualify under another visa category.
The full travel ban applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and holders of Palestinian Authority-issued passports.
A partial ban is in place for citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A Narrow Window for Global Participation
The policy highlights the Trump administration’s attempt to draw a clear line between facilitating elite-level international sport and maintaining restrictive immigration controls. While athletes and coaches will be able to compete on US soil, the absence of fans and media from banned countries could significantly alter the atmosphere of major tournaments.
For now, the exemptions ensure that competitions themselves can proceed as planned. But the limited scope of the carve-out underscores that, under the current administration, even the world’s biggest sporting events are not immune from the impact of US immigration policy.
