MOSCOW — When the officials leading the United States’ bid to host the 2026 World Cup — a joint effort with Mexico and Canada — hit the campaign trail in earnest this year, they quickly encountered uncomfortable questions from soccer associations around the world concerned about President Trump’s travel restrictions on people from many countries.
How could a country host the world’s most-watched sporting event if it were inhospitable to visitors? Would visas be granted, some federations asked, to all teams and their fans if their countries qualified?
With a rival bid from Morocco mounting a surprisingly strong challenge, the concerns could not be ignored.