Trump to Require Ghana Fans to Share Social Media History to Attend 2026 World Cup
- Donald Trump is pushing legislation that would force all foreign tourists to hand over five years of social media history before entering the U.S. for the 2026 World Cup
- The plan follows earlier travel bans on citizens from 19 countries, including two World Cup qualifiers, Haiti and Iran
- U.S. authorities have already begun instructing immigration services to review travellers’ public social media profiles for potential “anti-Americanism”
Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to require all foreign tourists to provide a five-year social media history before entering the United States for the 2026 World Cup.
Excitement for the tournament has been growing following a dramatic draw at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC.
Source: Getty Images
For the first time, 48 nations will compete at a World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
With a record number of teams comes a record number of expected spectators, around 6.5 million fans are projected to attend.
However, many of those travelling to the U.S. could face uncomfortable scrutiny if Trump’s latest proposal moves forward.
Back in June, Trump unveiled what he called “common sense restrictions” on travel designed to “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors.”
As part of that initiative, he imposed travel bans on citizens from 19 countries, including Haiti and Iran, both of which have qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
Social media history requirement for World Cup
According to a report from The Daily Mail, Trump is now pushing for legislation that would require foreign visitors to hand over five years of social media activity before entering the country.
The measure would apply to all tourists, even those from visa waiver nations such as the United Kingdom and Germany.
This report follows a directive from the State Department ordering all travellers to make their social media profiles public before visiting the U.S.
In June, a Norwegian traveller claimed he was denied entry after immigration officers found a meme on his phone mocking Vice President JD Vance. U.S. Homeland Security denied this, stating the individual was turned away for admitting drug use, per The BBC.
Two months later, the Trump Administration instructed immigration authorities to begin checking visa and green card applicants’ social media accounts for signs of “anti-Americanism,” although officials have not clarified what qualifies as anti-American behaviour.
Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Trump’s travel limitations extend to several other nations, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
None of those countries qualified for next year’s global tournament, yet the restrictions still shape the wider conversation around movement into the United States.
Although athletes, coaches and their immediate families are exempt, the policy makes it extremely difficult for ordinary Iranian supporters to attend matches on American soil.
9 countries that withdrew from World Cup
Earlier, YEN.com.gh examined nine countries that have withdrawn from the World Cup amid Iran’s reported boycott discussions.
One of the first and most notable examples happened in 1934, when Uruguay, the inaugural World Cup champions, refused to defend their title in Italy.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
