What Donald Trump's travel ban means for FIFA World Cup, Club World Cup, Gold Cup teams and fans

The White House said that the Trump administration's new travel ban will not impact players and other team personnel who will come to the U.S. for this summer's FIFA Club World Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup, with the tournaments falling under an exemption.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday issuing a full or partial ban to travelers from 19 countries, barring certain exceptions. The list of those countries with full travel bans includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, a list that could have impacted teams competing at both the Club World Cup and Gold Cup. Haiti are competing at the Gold Cup and are scheduled to face the U.S. men's national team on June 22 in the Group D finale, while UEFA Champions League finalists Inter will take part in the Club World Cup with Iran international Mehdi Taremi on the roster.

The proclamation, though, does include an exemption for players and staff who will be in the U.S. for the World Cup and Olympics, which will respectively take place in the country in 2026 and 2028. The policy also listed an exception for "other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State," a group that includes the Club World Cup and Gold Cup, per The Athletic.

Here's an explainer on how the new travel ban impacts soccer with several major sporting events will take place in the U.S. in the coming years.

Which countries are impacted by the travel ban?

Travelers from 12 countries are subject to a full restriction — Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Travelers from seven other countries — Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela — will deal with a partial restriction. "These restrictions distinguish between, but apply to both, the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants," the proclamation reads in part.

The new travel restrictions will begin on Monday and are not expected to impact those with visas issued beforehand or green card holders.

Which exemptions apply to soccer players?

The proclamation lists several exemptions for the ban, including athletes and staff traveling to the U.S. for major sporting events. The World Cup and Olympics were name-dropped specifically, but a spokesperson for the White House said the Club World Cup and Gold Cup are amongst the events that the exemption applies to.

Haiti's men's national team will take part in the Gold Cup this summer, while several players at the Club World Cup hail from nations that were listed in the proclamation. Al Ain's Josna Loulendo hails from the Republic of Congo.

As it pertains to the countries facing partial travel bans, there are several Club World Cup-bound players from those countries. The list includes Togo's Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba and Roger Aholou, who respectively play for Al Ain and Esperanza de Tunis, and Venezuela's Matías Lacava and Salomon Rondon, who respectively play for Ulsan HD and Pachuca.

How else will soccer be impacted by the travel ban?

While the exemption is in place for players and staff, it could cause issues for fans traveling into the U.S. for any upcoming sporting events.

There is also a question about which future competitions will fall under the exemption. The U.S. generally plays host to preseason friendlies from visiting teams each summer, while MLS welcomes Liga MX counterparts for the Leagues Cup annually.

Even before the proclamation, a handful of players were advised not to leave the U.S. because of travel concerns during the second Trump administration. Four NWSL players from Zambia were withdrawn from the team's squad in April, when they played games in China, with federation officials citing travel policies. The same month, fellow NWSL player Deyna Castellanos did not represent Venezuela over a lack of clarity on the U.S.' travel policies.