State Department lists major sporting events in addition to World Cup, Olympics exempt from Trump's visa ban

Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda are listed in the new travel ban from the Trump administration citing Citizenship by Investment concerns. Shown in this clip, the Antigua coastline.

The Trump administration has revealed various "major sporting events" in addition to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban on nearly 40 countries, allowing them to travel to the U.S. to compete.

In a cable sent Wednesday to all U.S. embassies and consulates, the State Department said athletes, coaches and support staff for the World Cup, the Olympics and events endorsed or run by a lengthy list of collegiate and professional sporting leagues and associations would be excluded from the full and partial travel bans subject to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority.

But foreign spectators, media and corporate sponsors who wish to attend the events would still be impacted by the ban unless they qualify for another exemption.

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The Trump administration has revealed the "major sporting events" in addition to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in which athletes and coaches will be exempt from a broad visa ban. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

"Only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics, and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception," the message said.

The federal government has issued several immigration and travel bans as well as other visa restrictions as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to curb immigration, although the administration still wants athletes, coaches and fans to be able to attend major