Mount Pleasant vs. Los Angeles Galaxy: Ten players from the Jamaican team refused entry to the United States for the CONCACAF Champions Cup match

The visa complications highlight a potential problem for Haiti at this summer’s World Cup, which Canada and Mexico are hosting alongside the United States.

Haiti qualified for the World Cup finals for the second time in its history, and was drawn into a group with Morocco, Scotland, and Brazil.

While the United States says players will receive exemptions from the travel ban, fans have not been promised the same.

In January, the US State Department said FIFA Pass, which allows 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket holders to access priority visa interview appointments in the US, does not allow “ineligible” people to obtain a visa.

State Department guidance specifies that there are exceptions for “any athlete or member of a sports team, including coaches, people performing essential support roles, and immediate relatives.”

But she added, “The exception does not apply to fans or spectators.”

The United States will host 78 of the 104 World Cup matches in 11 cities, including the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.