Former England and Arsenal centre-forward Ian Wright has complained about the restrictions America’s new visa rule poses for West African nations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
According to the BBC, the United States President, Donald Trump, has expanded a US travel ban with the intention “to protect the security of the United States” and will come into force on 1 January.
Full-entry restrictions will be imposed on people from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, as well as Palestinian Authority passport holders.
The administration also moved Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject to partial restrictions, to the full ban list and put partial restrictions on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
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With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, this action poses a threat to African visitors who would want to tour America during the 2026 FIFA World Cup on holiday.
Alongside, the initial ticket fees for the games were ridiculously expensive, with places at the final going up to $9,000.
However, as a result of the outcry, FIFA have stepped in to regulate the prizes, confirming that fans of the national teams that have qualified for the World Cup will benefit from a dedicated ticket pricing tier, which has been designed to make following their teams on football’s greatest stage more affordable.
The newly introduced Supporter Entry Tier will be available at the fixed price of $60 per ticket for each of the 104 matches, including the final.
2026 World Cup: Ian Wright makes complaint about Nigerian, African visa restrictions
The former Arsenal and Crystal Palace forward has been active in punditry after retiring. The 62-year-old is displeased with the cost of the World Cup ticket fees and the recent visa restrictions.
“They’re so expensive. You know what? We laugh at it, but even with the visas, what’s going on?
“People from Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, simply can’t go; they can’t get visas. This is the World’s game. If this were Qatar, the reaction would be very different,” Wright said on The Overlap.
“This is ridiculous. What’s going on? Is the World Cup going to be behind a paywall soon? You can’t even watch the FA Cup. That’s behind a paywall; everything is behind a paywall.
“The ticket fees are ridiculous. People can’t even go there. You should’ve seen what I had to go through to get there myself. With the visa, they might not even let me in. It’s ridiculous.
“The visa you have to apply for to get in there, the process is ridiculous. It’s turning into a sport for the elites. It’s killing people,” the two-time FA Cup winner concluded.
For Nigeria, their focus is the AFCON 2025 tournament. Ian Wright has tipped Mohamed Salah’s Egypt to win the trophy in Morocco.