Visa Crisis Hits Ivory Coast Fans Before the World Cup

Press reports have revealed a major crisis facing the fans of the Ivory Coast national team who wish to attend the 2026 World Cup matches in the United States, following difficulties many fans are experiencing in obtaining entry visas.

The French news agency (AFP) reported strong statements from the head of the National Committee for Ivory Coast Fans, Julian Kouadio Adonis, who confirmed that fans canceled their travel plans due to difficulties in obtaining visas. He said, "The United States clearly told us that they do not want to see our fans on their land."

According to reports, the Ivory Coast national team will play its matches in the World Cup with an almost complete absence of fans coming directly from the country, after a large number of them failed to complete travel procedures to the United States.

This crisis comes amid strict entry restrictions and procedures that have affected fans from several countries before the start of the tournament. Concerns had previously been raised about the difficulty for fans from some African countries to obtain the necessary visas to enter the United States.

On the other hand, there has been no official comment from the U.S. government so far to confirm or deny the statements attributed to the head of the Ivorian fans' association, while the controversy over visa issues continues as the World Cup competitions begin.