The FIFA Club World Cup was the opening act of a new era in American global sports diplomacy: the age of mega-sporting events.
With the FIFA World Cup set for 2026 and the Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympic Games for 2028, the 2025 Club World Cup provided a timely test — not just for stadiums and infrastructure, but also for immigration and border management systems that had to screen millions of travelers on short notice to ensure the event was a success.
How did the Trump administration perform? Surprisingly well, when one considers that the Club World Cup occurred in the middle of sweeping changes to immigration policy and multiple foreign policy challenges.
Success can be attributed in large part to the formation of a White House task force led by Andrew Giuliani. Under his leadership, the task force brought together the relevant government agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department — to coordinate visa processing, entry protocols and high-volume travel planning.
The administration’s Club World Cup response demonstrated an important, pragmatic use of executive authority and agency coordination. The influx of athletes, referees, support staff, media and fans traveling to the U.S. during a compressed timeframe posed significant logistical challenges. Anticipating this, the administration took proactive steps to prepare, operating within existing legal frameworks to respond swiftly and effectively.
For example, dedicated points of contact across key immigration agencies eased communication and allowed the government to quickly troubleshoot any issues that arose. Travelers reported generally smooth entry experiences and no major delays at the border. Event organizers praised the level of cooperation they received from federal agencies.
In a political climate often defined by division, this quiet success story underscores what is possible when operational planning is prioritized over rhetoric.
At the same time, the Club World Cup also revealed areas where improvement is necessary as the U.S. starts to prepare to host the FIFA World Cup next summer and the Olympics in 2028.
Even with a responsive interagency framework in place, the system strained at several points. The visa process is complicated and difficult to navigate as procedures vary around the world. Many consular processing posts abroad have not fully reduced visa backlogs, making it difficult for applicants to get interviews on time without receiving an expedited appointment, which is typically reserved for emergency and humanitarian travel. Inconsistent application of U.S. laws and policies across embassies and consulates, as well as at domestic ports of entry, also leads to traveler confusion.
The administration must also work within the bounds of existing immigration laws, processes and antiquated technology that are not set up for global sporting events and can frustrate the ability to meet the moment. Any temporary workarounds are unlikely to scale during the vastly larger World Cup and Olympic events.
To the Trump administration’s credit, it is aware of these challenges, although what longer-term improvements will look like remains unclear. Congress and the executive branch still have time to take action. This should include creating a new mega-event visa or electronic travel authorization program for certain accredited individuals (teams and support staff, referees and other technical officials, media and broadcast personnel, employees of organizing bodies and corporate sponsors), which could streamline the entire immigration process and establish unified eligibility standards across these key communities.
The administration should invest in digital infrastructure that supports a single, cohesive worldwide application process and that modernizes the visa process. This would not only provide a better customer service experience, but also streamline processing, allowing the government to use its limited resources effectively and allowing the system to meet growing global demand with greater agility.
Formalizing event-specific interagency coordination as a standard federal practice would help ensure consistent responses for these and other global events, regardless of the administration in office.
These improvements are ultimately about refining a system that is poised to face even greater demands. The Club World Cup demonstrated that when the immigration system is empowered to operate strategically and collaboratively, it can meet even the most complex logistical challenges without compromising national security. The groundwork laid by the Trump administration was a meaningful step forward — one that deserves recognition and continued refinement.
As America prepares to welcome the world again in 2026 and 2028, we have a valuable opportunity to build on this foundation. Billions of dollars are on the line and the stakes are high, both from an economic and foreign policy perspective.
In rising to meet the demands of this tournament, the Trump administration demonstrated what competent, coordinated immigration planning can achieve. Now, the task ahead is to ensure that this early success becomes a lasting legacy — one that allows the U.S. to lead not just on the field, but at the border as well.
Tiffany Derentz is senior counsel at BAL, a leading immigration law firm. She previously worked with the Department of State in the Bureau of Consular Affairs and as a senior adviser to the chief legal adviser for immigration affairs. She has worked with FIFA during the course of her career.
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