US fan travel ...
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What consequences might this ban have for the principle that sports should remain global and non-political, and for FIFA’s slogan “Football for All?”
Such a ban directly undermines the principle of universality by preventing a segment of the global football community from participating in the celebration, thus making the World Cup less “global” and more exclusive. It introduces a significant political dimension, demonstrating that the host country’s domestic and foreign policy can directly override FIFA’s stated goal of “Football for All.” It forces FIFA to navigate a complex political environment, compromising its claim of being politically neutral. It, certainly, risks setting a negative precedent where future host nations feel empowered to use major sporting events as a platform to enforce their political or discriminatory policies, further politicizing the sporting sphere.
Is there any precedent for a World Cup host — or host of another major sporting event — banning spectators of a particular nationality? If so, what was the outcome?
Of course, as far as I know, there has never been a similar case in which the host of a World Cup or a major sporting event banned or restricted spectators from a specific country. However, throughout history, several countries have been excluded from global sports due to political or ethical actions, or international sanctions. For example, South Africa during apartheid, Yugoslavia in the early 1990s under UN sanctions, Rhodesia under its white-minority regime, or even countries like Russia after the Ukraine war, due to international sanctions. All these exclusions were decided by sports federations or international bodies. For a host country, rather than a sports organization, to prevent spectators of a specific nationality from entering would undoubtedly politicize sport and undermine the principles of neutrality and non-discrimination of the organizing body, namely FIFA. This would also conflict with the objectives of the Olympic Charter and, specifically, the fundamental principles of Olympism.