Kalidou Koulibaly, captain of the Senegal national football team, did not hold back after his side’s opening World Cup match. The question on his mind wasn’t about tactics or formations. It was about why so many Senegalese fans couldn’t get into the country.
Following Senegal’s June 16 opener against France at MetLife Stadium, Koulibaly publicly called out US travel restrictions that have effectively locked out large portions of his nation’s supporter base from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A World Cup with empty seats where fans should be
The issue traces back to a December 2025 proclamation by President Donald Trump. That order imposed partial entry bans on nationals from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran, and Haiti, citing concerns over high visa overstay rates.
The justification for Senegal’s inclusion: a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 4.30%.
