Concerns From Fans
Senegal fan Djibril Gueye told The Associated Press that banning visitors from certain countries sends the wrong message. “If the U.S. is barring certain visitors, then the country shouldn’t agree to host the World Cup,” he said. “It’s up to the United States to provide the conditions, means, and resources so all qualified countries can attend and support their teams.”
Another Senegal supporter, Sheikh Sy, said he attended the previous World Cup in Qatar and plans to find a way to attend in 2026. “We’ve traveled everywhere with our team because we are the national fans of Senegal,” he said. “Since Senegal has qualified, we absolutely have to go.”
The Senegal national team will face France on June 16 in their opening match. Fatou Diedhiou, president of a Senegalese female fan group, expressed cautious optimism. “The World Cup isn’t here yet; maybe they’ll change their minds. We will wait and see,” she said.
Travel Logistics and Optimism
Faé, another fan, shared that in past events, supporters were able to attend matches as long as they had tickets. “Everything went smoothly in previous tournaments. I think things will be sorted out by the time the World Cup begins,” she added.
For Ivory Coast, the first match is scheduled against Ecuador on June 14. Fans from the country are also awaiting clarity on travel arrangements.
