New Delhi, April 6: France football great Marcel Desailly does not feel that visa issues relating to entering the United States will have any impact on the 2026 FIFA World Cup as “sport is above all these”.
The 2026 World Cup is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The United States will host 78 matches, while Canada and Mexico will each stage 13 games in the 48-team tournament.
There has been fear that the long visa appointment wait time combined with harsher regulations implemented by new president Donald Trump could make it more difficult for football fans to make it to the US for the World Cup. But Desailly, a member of France’s 1998 FIFA World Cup and 2000 Euro winnings teams, said previous editions of the showpiece had succeeded despite having “bigger problems than a few visa issues.” (PTI)