One country could be blocked from playing at the 2026 World Cup in the United States after being included in President Donald Trump's travel ban list.
Trump became the 47th US President in January after defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November's presidential election.
It is his second stint of four years in charge of the country, after he previously served as President between 2017 and 2021.
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Trump has already set about significant and sweeping changes to both the world of sport and beyond in the States, including the signing of an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
The 78-year-old has focused mainly on immigration, and he suspended the entry of all undocumented immigrants to the USA in what was one of his first acts as President in January.
Trump's government has now proposed a list of 43 countries for US travel bans, according to the New York Times.
The outlet reports that a 'memo circulating inside the [Trump] administration' lists the 43 countries, which are largely based in Africa.
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They are placed into three categories, it is claimed - full visa bans, partial or strict visa suspensions, and recommendations of certain countries for travel bans if they do not address concerns within 60 days.
The vast majority of the full visa bans list, in football terms, are either eliminated from World Cup qualifying or hold no realistic hope of reaching the tournament in almost 18 months' time.
For instance, the likes of Afghanistan and North Korea are already eliminated from Asian World Cup qualifying.
But notably, Iran are included in the list - having already qualified for the World Cup.
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They reached the 2022 edition under Carlos Queiroz, being thrashed 5-1 by England in the group stage before producing a famous 2-0 win over Wales.
They would ultimately miss out on qualification for the last 16 - ironically in this particular case - after losing 1-0 to the United States.
On Tuesday, they became the sixth team to qualify for the World Cup after their 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan.
The NY Times claim that a draft list of recommendations 'developed by diplomatic and security officials' suggests a 'red list' of 11 countries - including Iran - whose citizens would be 'flatly barred' from entering the States.
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It is added, though, according to an unnamed source, that the list would likely be changed before it reaches the White House and is then approved.
Most of Iran's squad play domestic football in their home nation, but several stars, including Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi, have played abroad for a number of years.
And midfielder Saman Ghoddos - formerly of Brentford - was born in Sweden and has spent much of his life there, but represents Iran internationally through both parents.
The travel ban list could also affect potential qualifying countries who are on the 'partial ban' list, including Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burkina Faso.
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Venezuela are the only South American country on the full visa ban, meanwhile.
Which other nations are on Trump's proposed travel ban list?
Here is the full list of 43 countries that have been proposed for a US travel ban by the Trump government, according the Daily Mail (countries in bold have previously played at a men's World Cup):
Full visa bans
- Afghanistan
- Bhutan
- Cuba
- Iran
- Libya
- North Korea
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Syria
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Partial visa suspensions
- Belarus
- Eritrea (unranked by FIFA, having not played a game since January 2020)
- Haiti
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Russia (currently suspended by FIFA)
- Sierra Leone
- South Sudan
- Turkmenistan
Countries recommended for partial suspension (countries have 60 days to address concerns)
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Chad
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominica
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gambia
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Republic of the Congo
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Vanuatu
- Zimbabwe
What could FIFA do next?
It is worth noting that the 2026 World Cup is not only being hosted in the States, with Mexico and Canada also scheduled to host several matches.
A resolution could therefore be found that would allow travel-impacted nations, such as Iran, to play their group stage matches and beyond in those host countries, although there is no indication whether such a decision would be on the cards.
A decision taken at the recent 2025 Champions Trophy cricket tournament - though in much different circumstances - could provide an indication as to what FIFA might do.
India refused to play their 2025 Champions Trophy cricket matches in host nation Pakistan due to political tensions between the two countries.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) subsequently permitted them to instead play their games in Dubai. India reached the final, where they defeated New Zealand in the final to win the Champions Trophy for the first time.
Topics: Football World Cup, United States, FIFA
Ryan Smart