By Eileen Lee, Opinions Editor |

With excitement building up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States has the opportunity to host one of the world’s biggest sporting events. Fans from all over the world are preparing to travel to see this historic moment. In Massachusetts, five group-stage matches and two knockout matches are scheduled at Gillette Stadium (set to be called Boston Stadium for the 2026 World Cup).

Fans are eager for the energy and atmosphere the World Cup will bring. Co-head of Fanatics Club Ella Paterniti ’26, currently working with Boston Legacy FC, stated, “Boston is well-known for its passionate sports fans, and I’m excited to see that same energy at the matches being played at Gillette Stadium.” For many fans, the World Cup is more than just a soccer tournament. Annie Frigerio ’26, co-captain of Varsity Soccer, recalled watching the World Cup with friends and neighbors and said, “The World Cup is an event that everyone enjoys.” She added, “watching it with all of your friends is so much fun,” emphasizing that the tournament connects people across countries and generations. Coach Brittany Bushman compared the World Cup to the Olympics, noting, “It’s really exciting that it’s here in the U.S. this year.” She also said the World Cup offers “a really awesome opportunity to bring diverse cultures and communities together around one central sport,” giving fans a chance to celebrate the game together all summer.

However, recent U.S. travel policies have raised concerns about whether fans from around the world will be able to attend. The Trump administration introduced a “visa bond pilot program” that requires some B-1 and B-2 visa applicants to pay refundable deposits up to $15,000. Even though the deposit is returned if travelers leave within the required period, this policy creates a financial barrier for international fans seeking to attend the tournament. 

On May 13, the State Department changed its policy. Foreign fans who purchased confirmed World Cup tickets and signed up with FIFA PASS before April 15 no longer need to meet the bond requirement. This exemption applies to fans from 50 countries, including those supporting Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia, all of which qualified for the World Cup.

Even with this change, the exemptions are limited. Fans who delayed ticket purchases due to financial constraints are not eligible. Besides, with the tournament less than a month away, supporters from countries such as Haiti and Iran still face U.S. entry restrictions.

Grette Buttner ’27, co-head of Current and Political Events Club, stated that these restrictions contradict the World Cup’s intended message. “The World Cup is built on a message of global unity, and barring fans from countries like Haiti and Iran directly contradicts that,” she said. Buttner described the policies as “unjust” because they “target ordinary citizens—people who simply want to watch their team play.” 

The U.S. Travel Association continues to advocate for easing visa bottlenecks. Still, there is no sign that the bond requirement will be lifted for tourists who do not meet the narrow FIFA-affiliated criteria. The World Cup is one of the few events that can bring millions of people from all over the world together, regardless of nationality, language, or politics. If fans from certain countries continue to face disproportionate barriers, the tournament risks losing part of its meaning.

Whether the United States can truly welcome the world depends not on whether the U.S. makes changes but whether those changes are enough to ensure that all fans—not just some—can participate in the event. As our school community gets ready for one of the world’s largest international events, Winsor students should continue to question whether current policies truly reflect the values of inclusion and global unity that the World Cup is meant to represent.