The date is known, marked on the calendars. On June 16, Senegal will launch its 2026 World Cup in the United States with a top match against the French football team. But the Lions of Teranga, nickname given to the players of the selection, are not sure of being able to count on their enthusiastic supporters to face Didier Deschamps’ players.
The fault lies with a new security measure signed by Donald Trump. The American president in fact promulgated this Tuesday, December 16, a new decree “restricting and further limiting the entry of foreign nationals in order to protect the security of the United States”, according to the White House communication.
The new countries affected by this measure are Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, South Sudan and Syria, while Laos and Sierra Leone are moving from partial to total restrictions. Palestinians with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are also targeted.
But the administration has also decided to extend partial entry restriction measures to 15 new countries. Among these nations, therefore, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Two countries whose national football teams have won their ticket to the World Cup.
After its match against the Blues, Senegal, placed in group I, will face Norway and a qualifier. Ivory Coast, for its part, will face Germany, Curaçao and Ecuador in Group E.
While these restrictions will not apply to the athletes themselves, they could well prevent some supporters from traveling and cheering on their players.
