Foreign Office issues USA ESTA warning as Brits head to World Cup
The World Cup is just two days away but travelling Brits will be sweating after the Foreign Office's latest ESTA warning for those travelling to the US.
England and Scotland will both compete in the 2026 World Cup, which gets underway on Thursday (11 June) evening, as co-hosts Mexico take on South Africa.
Canada and the United States of America will also be hosting the tournament, but there has been no shortage of concern over the latter's ability to put on a quality World Cup.
Huge costs for tickets, transportation and hotels have been massive worries, with FIFA even briefly banning reusable water bottles in stadiums before U-turning on the decision, but now some fans are even wondering if they'll be allowed into the US at all.
Advert
To enter the states, travellers must possess a visa or an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation), which is mandatory and permits personal travel in the country for up to 90 days via the VISA Waiver Program.
However, the Foreign Office has urged football fans to verify their travel documents before leaving for the States as some travellers have noticed their previously approved ESTAs have reverted to 'pending' or 'travel not authorised' status.
The Foreign Office has warned that the status of an ESTA can change at any time and possessing one does not guarantee entry in the USA.
It said: "Authorities may refuse you entry if, for example, they believe you plan to stay longer than permitted or have provided inaccurate or incomplete information. The US may change the conditions to travel to the US at any time without prior notice."
Additionally, the US Embassy has cautioned against third-party sites that overcharge for information and are not affiliated to the government.
It said: "These websites are designed to appear legitimate, and though deceptive, they operate legally. U.S. Government Web sites can be identified by '.gov.'"
Some fans have already felt the sting of having their travel status changed after initially being cleared to travel to watch their nations compete in this summer's prestigious tournament.
Scott Baird was looking forward to taking his family Stateside to watch Scotland in their first World Cup since 1998. However, he saw his travel status go from approved to 'pending' to 'travel not authorised' over an agonising two hours.
He told the BBC Scotland News: "Out of the blue on Tuesday, I got an email that said there's been an update on your ESTA status.
"Since I've done that ESTA there's been absolutely no changes to my circumstances. "That's the frustrating thing, not knowing why this has happened."
Scotland take on Haiti in their opening match in Boston on June 14, while Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions kick things off against old foes Croatia on June 17 in Dallas.
World Cup referee denied entry to the USA
Fans are not the only ones facing challenges in even getting to the US for the World Cup.
FIFA confirmed on Monday that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, the nomination from Africa, has been denied entry and will miss the tournament.
A FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States.
“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present.
“In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”
Meanwhile, the Iran team have been told they will have to enter and leave the country on the day of their fixtures and have been forced to stay in Mexico instead as the turmoil in the Middle East rumbles on and Swiss mainstay Breel Embolo was initially denied entry due to an incident from 2018.
Daniel Murphy