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- Visa survey: the United States clarified the entry rules for Russians at the 2026 World Cup
Visa survey: the United States clarified the entry rules for Russians at the 2026 World Cup
The United States has no plans to complicate entry for Russian citizens to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Russians will be able to obtain a visa to travel to the World Cup on a general basis, the American Embassy in Moscow told Izvestia. The State Department previously explained that having a ticket would only help you get to the front of the queue for an interview. At the same time, there are no plans to expand the points for submitting applications from Russians, Izvestia found out. Russian citizens can apply for visas only at the embassies in Astana and Warsaw. In general, a trip to the World Cup will be expensive: there are no direct flights to any of the host countries, and ticket prices have already broken all records. How to get to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico — in the Izvestia article.
How Russians can get to the 2026 World Cup
A little more than six months are left before the start of the World Cup. In 2026, it will be held in three countries at once — the USA, Canada and Mexico — from June 11 to July 19. Despite the fact that the way to these countries is very long, fans around the world are most concerned about obtaining an American visa. The USA will host 75% of all matches, including almost all playoff games. Fans from the Russian Federation are expected to face the greatest difficulties due to the degradation of Russian-American relations due to the actions of the previous United States administration.
At the same time, there are no plans to tighten any requirements for Russians to obtain a visa in order to attend matches. That is, Russians will be able to receive on a general basis, follows from the response of the US Embassy in Moscow to Izvestia.
— A ticket to the FIFA World Cup does not guarantee a visa to the United States. Ticket holders will still need to apply for a visa or an ESTA permit (Electronic Travel Authorization System for Visa-free entry. — Ed.) and comply with all requirements established by US law. Each application is considered individually based on the facts of the case, and we cannot make assumptions about whether any applicant can apply for a visa.
At the same time, there are certain allowances for fans in general. The State Department is prioritizing the appointment of interviews so that every FIFA World Cup ticket holder has the opportunity to be interviewed before the match, the embassy said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that applicants would simply be put at the top of the queue, urging them to sign up for an interview as soon as possible — it would take place 6-8 weeks after applying. At the same time, Donald Trump claims that the work of his administration has already reduced the waiting time for an American visa for 80% of the world's population from one year to two months.
"The security of America and our borders will always come first. Like all potential travelers to the United States, World Cup ticket holders applying for a visa undergo rigorous security checks conducted by all U.S. interagency agencies. Applicants must confirm that they are eligible for a visa, plan to comply with U.S. laws, and leave the country at the end of the tournament. Protecting the United States from individuals who may pose a threat to the security of the United States and its citizens is our top priority," the American Embassy added.
At the moment, Russian citizens have the opportunity to apply for a visa only at the embassies in Astana and Warsaw. We are not talking about other points, Izvestia found out. If coming to Kazakhstan is not a particular problem, then a Schengen visa is needed to travel to Poland, not to mention the cost of accommodation and air tickets. The Russian-American dialogue on visa facilitation has now stalled. The next round of negotiations on restoring the full-fledged work of the embassies in Moscow and Washington has not yet been scheduled, the American mission in Russia told Izvestia earlier.
Things are simpler with entry to other host countries of the championship. A visa to Canada can be issued in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Rostov and Vladivostok - it will take from a couple of weeks to several months. Instead of a visa, all you need to get to Mexico is an electronic permit (it can be issued online for free) for those arriving by plane. And you don't even need it if you have a valid multiple-entry visa from the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Japan or countries within the Schengen area.
Tickets for the 2026 World Cup
Overall, getting to the upcoming World Cup is still a challenge. Firstly, there are currently no direct flights to any of the three countries from Russia, and you will most likely have to travel via Istanbul or Dubai. For example, round-trip tickets to Mexico are already going beyond 100 thousand rubles. As the tournament approaches, prices are likely to rise significantly. And this is not all the transportation costs. Not only will the tournament be held in three countries at once for the first time, the matches will be played in 16 cities. At the same time, most of the games will be held in 11 US cities. Considering the size of the USA, Canada and Mexico, it is worth allocating a round sum for internal displacement.
Secondly, it is also not so easy to purchase tickets for matches. On September 10, the initial stage of ticket sales opened, including a lottery. The second stage is currently underway, also with a random sampling option. At the same time, FIFA initially did not even disclose how many tickets were available in each category and did not publicly disclose prices, as was the case before previous tournaments, including to fans who acquired the "right to purchase."
Back in September, FIFA announced that prices for the cheapest seats in the group stage would start at $60 and go up to $6,730 for the final. At the same time, they are also getting more expensive every day, as if in unison with the pragmatism of the current administration of Donald Trump. The organizers warned in advance that they would apply dynamic pricing depending on demand. Since there is no doubt about the desire of fans from all over the world to attend the World Cup, the most negative forecasts for ticket prices have also come true.
By the second stage of sales, prices had broken a record, although the initial figures had already caused genuine amazement among fans. For comparison, at the Qatar World Cup, ticket prices started at $11, and you could get to the final for a modest $206. And the ticket price for the main match of the upcoming championship has already jumped to $ 7 thousand. According to The Athletic, some tickets for the games in Mexico and Canada have gone up by 25%.
However, that's not all. Prices can theoretically rise higher after the draw on December 5, when the group stage matches, dates and venues will be determined. At the same time, the stage with the prize draw will begin on a first-come, first-served basis.
So far, 39 participants out of 48, including the host countries, have directly qualified for the 2026 World Cup final tournament, because they do not participate in the qualifiers. The teams of Austria, England, Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, France, Croatia, Switzerland, and Scotland were selected from the European grid, in which Russia previously participated.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
