EXCLUSIVE: The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than five months away and the State Department is set to roll out a system for ticket holders who need visas.
The State Department will launch the FIFA Priority Appointment Schedule System (FIFA PASS), Fox News Digital learned on Tuesday. The system will give World Cup ticket holders the opportunity to access prioritized visa appointments before the event begins on June 11.
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Prospective visa holders must be able to show that they qualify to obtain a visa and plan to follow the laws in the United States as well as leave the country once the tournament is over on July 19.
Scheduling the visa interview doesn’t necessarily mean a visa will be issued. Each applicant will undergo security screening and proper vetting. They will have to demonstrate that they qualify for a visa.
The State Department will deploy 500 additional staff members to process applications.
President Donald Trump spoke about the FIFA Pass in November. He said the Departments of State and Homeland Security had been working "tirelessly" to "ensure that soccer fans from all around the world are properly vetted and able to come to the United States next summer easily."
"I’ve directed my administration to do everything within the power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success. I think it’s going to be the greatest, and we are setting records on ticket sales," Trump said at the time.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the organization expected "between 5 and 10 million people coming to America from… all over the world to enjoy the World Cup."
"With this FIFA Pass, we can make sure that those who buy a ticket that are legitimate football fans, or soccer fans… they can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions – starting from getting their visa and then coming, of course, in the country to enjoy," Infantino said in the Oval Office.
Trump strongly encouraged World Cup ticketholders from around the world to apply for their U.S. visas "right away."
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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