Home » U.S. travel system “not ready” for 2026 World Cup

U.S. travel system “not ready” for 2026 World Cup

The U.S. air travel system is “not ready” to host the 2026 World Cup due to deficiencies in an “outdated air travel system.”

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U.S. “not ready” for World Cup

The report, released on Wednesday by a nonprofit group representing the travel industry, estimated that 40 million people could visit the U.S. for major events, including the World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, the 2025 Ryder Cup, and America’s 250th birthday — 6 million of whom would come specifically for the World Cup.

Additionally, the U.S. Travel Association identified aging infrastructure, sluggish visa processing times, and outdated security technology as the main obstacles to welcoming visitors to the country.

“We’re not ready to host the upcoming mega decade of events that will draw millions of domestic and international travelers. This poses risks to our national security and hampers economic growth,” according to the U.S. Travel Association.

The United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.

The 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles.

“The message today is clear,” U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Geoff Freeman said. “The status quo is not an option.”

“The president has been outspoken about making this the gold standard of World Cups, the best Olympics that has ever been held,” Freeman said. “To do those things, to achieve those goals, you’ve got to make some of these investments.”

What’s the solution?

The U.S. Travel Association is calling for the “urgent modernization” of air traffic control technology, along with an immediate solution to address air traffic controller shortages.

The report also recommends that the government establish a White House-led task force, implement an expedited visitor visa process, and modernize airport security by adopting new technologies, such as biometrics.

Freeman said slow visa processing times are the “single biggest deterrent to visiting the United States.”

According to the State Department, visitor visa wait times in countries like Colombia can extend up to 700 days

“People want to come, but they’re not coming,” Freeman told ESPN. “It gets down to these visa wait times. It gets down to the customs inefficiencies, and it gets down to a perception in instances that people aren’t welcome. We’re very concerned.”