Fans Sue FIFA as World Cup Woes Increase | U.S. News Decision Points

A group representing soccer fans and a consumer advocacy organization are jointly suing world soccer body FIFA over World Cup ticket price “abuses” in the latest blow to a tournament that opens in North America in just 78 days.

What was pitched as a showcase – and a windfall – for America has instead attracted fresh scrutiny of draconian immigration enforcement practices and tough new limits on tourist access to the country. That’s all against the backdrop of the war with Iran, which has sent airline prices soaring and led to security concerns around the globe.

The World Cup will still most likely be the world’s most-watched sporting event. In 2022, the final match drew an estimated 1.4 billion viewers worldwide. This year’s tournament is expected to pack stadiums in 16 North American cities, 11 of which are in the United States. Yes, even with the kind of sticker shock the lawsuit alleges.

Here are some of the other potential headwinds.

Though President Donald Trump says the war is “won,” the U.S. and Israel keep pounding targets inside Iran, while Tehran strikes out at Israel and other neighbors and smothers traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

About 20% of globally traded oil flows through that waterway, so the bottleneck has sent energy prices soaring. That has implications for everything from airfares to the cost of gas and consumer goods.

And even if the warring parties quickly find an off-ramp, there’s no guarantee prices will fall precipitously. Iranian strikes have reportedly wiped out 17% of Qatari liquified natural gas output for five years – a supply shock that will keep prices higher.

The war could also have security ramifications – beyond the usual precautions surrounding any major sporting event since 9/11. The State Department recently warned “Groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and/or Americans throughout the world.”

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump even warned the Iranian national soccer team might be risking “their own life and safety” by coming to play.

Iran’s first fixture is June 15 in Los Angeles.

Starting April 2, travelers from a total of 50 countries will have to post a refundable bond of up to $15,000 to apply for a U.S. visa. The amount will be determined in the visa interview.

The policy calls for the bond to be refunded if the visa application is denied or if the recipient fulfills the terms of the visa and has left the country when it expires. But obviously it’s tricky to come up with the money in the first place, which will deter many travelers.

In December, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency proposed a new policy in which certain tourists would have to disclose their social media activity for the past five years.

The new requirement would apply to 42 countries whose citizens don’t currently require a visa to travel to the United States. The list includes stalwart U.S. allies – and historically strong soccer contenders – Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Portugal.

CBP also wants any phone numbers used by tourists over the last five years, any email addresses used in the last 10 years, as well as face, fingerprint, DNA and iris biometrics. And the agency wants the names, addresses, birthplaces and birthdates of family members.

A travel industry group, the World Travel and Tourism Council, warned in January that implementing the proposal would make the U.S. a less attractive destination to foreign tourists, leading to lost revenues of $15.7 billion and potentially costing up to 157,000 American jobs.

U.S. immigration enforcement tactics that critics have called excessive have made headlines around the world, notably the killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents. So what role will Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, deployed this week to around 14 U.S. airports, play in securing the World Cup?

It’s not clear. But the agency will have a role, according to acting ICE director Todd Lyons, who told Congress in February that “ICE, specifically Homeland Security Investigations, is a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.”

HSI isn’t the arrest-and-deport part of ICE. It’s the part of the agency that handles criminal investigations, such as probes into human trafficking. That doesn’t mean the kind of agents widely seen in street confrontations won’t be there.

The stress level is high enough that three Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that would restrict ICE operations at or near World Cup venues, including at so-called Fan Fests where enthusiasts without a FIFA ticket can watch games on jumbo screens.

And a union representing thousands of Southern California hospitality workers reportedly wants World Cup stadiums and hotels not to host federal immigration agentsand emphasized that workers could refuse to work if their employers allow ICE onto their properties

There are four World Cup qualified countries that are under a de facto travel ban to the U.S.: Haiti, Iran, Senegal and Ivory Coast. The State Department plans to exempt team officials, players, support staff and immediate relatives. But fans? Not so much.

Back in December, the Trump administration put World Cup ticket holders – at least those who bought directly from FIFA – on a fast track for visas.

They did this in two ways:

Even with the new travel hurdles, thousands will be there for kick-off June 11.