The World Cup is due to begin next week, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, but the build up to the world's largest sporting event is being clouded by concerns over the country's immigration crackdown, which has dampened the plans of fans from many nations. The situation has raised pointed questions about whether the United States is ready to welcome the world and whether international supporters feel as welcome as they once did.
Philadelphia is one of the host cities and is preparing for six matches and an expected surge of international fans. Yet visa uncertainty and rising airfares could dampen travel demand, and a recent survey found that around 75 percent of hotels in the Philadelphia area are seeing lower bookings than expected, a sign that some visitors are holding back.
For many supporters, the first sign of difficulty comes long before kickoff. Immigration lawyers say that obtaining a visa may be the single biggest hurdle of all, because citizens of certain countries currently subject to a visa ban cannot obtain any kind of visa at all, effectively shutting them out of the tournament.
Others who hold the citizenship of a different country may face a separate obstacle, with some potentially required to pay a large special bond as a guarantee that they will return home after the event. That added cost and paperwork pile further uncertainty onto fans who are simply trying to follow their teams.
Even securing a visa does not guarantee entry into the country. Some fans worry that, on arrival, border officers could inspect their phones and social media accounts, and immigration lawyers note that Customs and Border Protection officers hold wide discretion, including the power to send travelers for secondary inspection before deciding whether to admit them.
The cost of getting there is a deal breaker for some. Experts say many fans are holding off on booking even as the average international airfare has climbed to nearly 1,100 dollars, a rise of about 42 percent since February, with last minute purchases inside a seven day window pushing prices even higher.
Travel within the country adds yet another complication, because the United States lacks a high speed rail network linking the host cities. Fans moving between venues can be left facing long, multi stop journeys that stretch across many hours, compounding the practical and financial challenges of attending matches in different parts of the tournament.