World Cup 2026: Additional headache for Nigeria as Trump wields the big stick

With the Super Eagles already facing a turbulent flight in the 2026 World Cup qualification quest, a possible headache is unfolding, even if they make the final cut to the global tournament.

Nigeria is among the 36 countries that the US president, Donald Trump, is considering imposing a travel ban on to the United States, the epicentre of next year’s World Cup.

Already, Iran, though qualified, is among the initial 12 countries for which the Trump administration has imposed a travel ban. The US is now weighing adding 36 other countries to the travel ban. This is obtained from an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.

The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address concerns raised by the US within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action.

“The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days,” the cable sent out over the weekend said.

The cable was first reported by the Washington Post.

Among the concerns the State Department raised was the lack of a competent or cooperative government by some of the countries mentioned to produce reliable identity documents, the cable said. Another was the “questionable security” of that country’s passport.

Some countries, the cable said, were not cooperative in facilitating the removal of their nationals from the United States who were ordered to be removed. Some countries were overstaying the U.S. visas that their citizens were being granted.