Vice President JD Vance has issued a warning to football fans to not overstay their welcome at the 2026 World Cup - or they could risk a visit from the ICE.
The US is set to co-host the 2026 Fifa World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico.
An estimated five million fans from around the world are expected to travel to the tournament, with Donald Trump having promised a ‘seamless experience’ for visitors to the United States of America.
The White House held an event on Tuesday, in which Vance echoed the message of the President, stating, ‘everyone is welcome’.
The World Cup last took place in Qatar in 2022
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“Of course everyone is welcome to come and see this wonderful event,’ the Vice President stated.
"We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the games.
"But when the time is up we want them to go home, otherwise they will have talk to Secretary Noem."
JD Vance offered a warning to anyone planning to stay after the World Cup
Reuters
Secretary Noem is Trump’s Homeland Security secretary, who has been christened ‘ICE Barbie’ and ‘American Badass.’
Noem has taken it upon herself to join ICE agents on their raids to oust immigrants as part of Trump's mass deportation plan.
"Dirtbags like this will continue to be removed from our streets," Noem said during a raid in New York City.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed the thoughts of Vice President Vance, warning visitors not to ‘overstay your visas’.
During the same event on Tuesday, Andrew Giuliani was named as the head of Trump’s Task Force on the 2026 World Cup.
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48 countries will aim to lift this trophy in the largest World Cup in history.
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Giuliani is the son of the former New York Mayor and longtime Trump ally, Rudy.
He served as the Special Assistant to the President and the Associate Director of the Office of Pubic Liaison during Trump’s first term.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first World Cup to take place across three countries, with 11 host cities in the US, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
It will also be the first to use a new format with 16 more teams then in Qatar in 2022, bringing the total number of teams to 48, and 40 more matches due to this, leading to more excitement and games for fans to watch.
The US, Mexico and Canada all have automatic places in the tournament, with the rest being decided through qualifying matches taking places throughout 2025.
