Navigating the World Cup 2026 travel document maze: Your operational guide

Watched by 5 billion people globally, the World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and 2026 will see up to 6 million fans travel to watch games and soak up the atmosphere across the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

The 2026 Football World Cup creates a complex travel operation. With 48 national teams competing in 16 cities across 3 countries, each with unique border protocols, travel patterns will be unpredictable and challenge travel operators’ document management abilities.

For airlines, tour operators, and online travel agencies, this is both a revenue opportunity and a major operational risk.

Key takeaway: Master World Cup travel document complexity first to outpace competitors and capture the travel surge.

The tri-nation challenge: Three countries, three sets of rules

For the first time, fans will cross multiple international borders in a matter of days to follow their teams. Each entry has distinct documentation, processing times, and levels of complexity. As the games head into the knockout stages, fans will have less time to plan travel arrangements and gain the documents they need to travel between games.

Consider a Belgium supporter whose team plays in Seattle, Vancouver, and LA. That entails two border crossings within days, excluding possible knockout rounds. Each crossing is a potential failure point that could strand your customer and cost you thousands in rebooking and support resources.

Outside the three host countries, the main travel markets include Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Colombia, and France. Each faces different border requirements across the hosts. For example, German passport holders can enter the U.S. under ESTA, while Brazilians need a full visa interview. Multiply these differences by 48 qualifying nations and millions of travelers, and the scale becomes clear.

‍

‍

What your travelers need to know (and what you need to guide them through)

United States: The highest barrier to entry

The U.S. represents the most complex entry requirements of the three hosts:

For visa waiver countries: Travelers from countries including the UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Australia need an approved ESTA before departure. While processing timelines are typically quick, travelers should apply well in advance of travel.

For non-waiver countries: Full visa applications are required for countries including Brazil, Colombia, India, China, and Nigeria, typically involving in-person interviews at U.S. embassies or consulates. Standard processing times can stretch weeks or even months during peak periods, including the World Cup.

The FIFA PASS advantage: Here’s where proactive operators can differentiate themselves. FIFA PASS is now open, allowing World Cup 2026 ticket holders to access priority U.S. visa interview appointments. This is a game-changer for Brazilian, Colombian, and other customers facing lengthy wait times.

The process requires travelers to opt in via their FIFA.com account, complete the DS-160 application, and select “Yes” when asked whether they’re a ticket holder during their interview scheduling.

However, as we’ll explore next, current U.S. entry restrictions complicate this further.

Travelling to the World Cup? Check your specific travel requirements with Sherpa, click here.

Canada: The middle ground

For visa waiver countries: Travelers from the UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Australia must obtain an eTA prior to travel.

For non-waiver countries: Visas are required for India, China, South Africa, and Pakistan. While generally less restrictive than U.S. requirements, processing timelines still demand advance planning. World Cup-specific provisions are currently limited, so your customers will look to you for guidance on timing and requirements.

For some nationalities: Travelers from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines, and Thailand may be eligible for an eTA instead of a visa if they hold a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa or have held a Canadian visa within the past 10 years. Otherwise, a full visa is required.

Travelling to the World Cup? Check your specific travel requirements with Sherpa, click here.

Mexico: Deceptively simple, with changes coming

Mexico appears to be the simplest entry point. Most travelers need only a valid passport with at least 6 months’ validity. But appearances can be deceiving.

Mexico will launch an eVisa system in Q1 2026, just before the tournament. Brazilian nationals will be the first to experience this, starting February 5th. Since Brazil has a large football culture, thousands will need to meet new requirements.

Mexico currently offers an eTA for Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian nationals. Additionally, travelers visiting Quintana Roo or Baja California Sur are required to pay a tourist tax, and Mexican nationals departing Mexico must complete a declaration form.

Travelling to the World Cup? Check your specific travel requirements with Sherpa, click here.

The geopolitical wild card: Why static information will fail you

Here’s the unpredictable truth every operator needs to acknowledge: the diplomatic landscape between now and June 2026 is fundamentally uncertain, and requirements can change rapidly.

Brazil faces possible visa complications with the U.S., which could stop one of the largest fan bases from traveling. Current U.S. restrictions on Iran, Haiti, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal could change depending on diplomatic developments beyond the travel industry’s control.

Traditional "check before you travel" advice is inadequate in this environment. Static information becomes outdated within weeks. Even government sites struggle to keep pace with frequently shifting policies. This isn’t just complexity—it’s evolving complexity demanding real-time intelligence and software, like Sherpa, that adjust as rules shift.

Some travelers are already delaying bookings due to this uncertainty, waiting to see how the political landscape develops. This is a warning signal that, when these travelers do book, it will be at the last minute, with compressed timelines for document processing and sky-high expectations for service. Your customer service team will bear the brunt of this reactive approach, unless proactive solutions are built now.

With geopolitical and operational risks defined, turn these insights into actionable strategies for your operations.

Denied boarding due to documentation issues isn’t just inconvenient—it’s an expensive operational bottleneck, costing thousands per passenger when you include rebooking, accommodation, customer service, and compensation.

During the World Cup, with flights sold out and accommodation scarce, these costs escalate. A denied customer isn’t just unhappy—they become a resource drain and a reputational risk, with fans venting their frustrations online, blaming airlines and operators for not flagging requirements early enough.

The competitive advantage is there for the taking

Addressing document complexities before they impact customers helps secure bookings and reduce customer backlash.

Seamless document services set you apart, improving customer loyalty and Net Promoter Scores.  A traveler who receives timely guidance and crosses borders smoothly to see the game becomes a customer for life.

The revenue opportunity in ancillary services

World Cup bookings are high-value transactions. Integrated visa and document services add revenue just when customers are already spending and seeking assurance.

For example, travel operators and airlines can earn at least $9 more per EU passport holder in ancillary eVisa revenue with Sherpa, with higher amounts for travelers with weaker passports. With 2 million tickets sold, these add up to significant ancillary revenue.

More importantly, this revenue improves the customer experience, as travelers actively seek solutions to make their World Cup journey seamless.

Is the last-minute booking surge coming?

Just like football, this is an answer of two halves.

Historically, major sporting events see last-minute surges in travel sales, and this could happen again. Geopolitical uncertainty may make some fans hesitant to book, leading to compressed document-processing timelines when you can least afford them.

Conversely, some fans understand the complexity of a tri-country tournament and are committed to attending, benefiting from booking early, and obtaining entry documents in advance. Some of these may delay the document planning side though to ensure a seamless crossing if requirements change.

Either way, without automated, real-time guidance, your operation could be overwhelmed by support requests, raising costs and eating into margins when profitability should be peaking.

Don’t let document complexity become your crisis

The 2026 World Cup represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for travel operators. Six million potential customers, high-value bookings, and a global audience eager to experience the tournament firsthand.

But complexity at this scale requires systems, not heroics. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, travelers need real-time intelligence and seamless applications—not static PDFs and reactive customer service.

The operators who master tri-nation document requirements, adapt to fast-moving documentation expectations, and provide proactive solutions for last-minute bookers will win this market. Those who rely on traditional approaches will spend the summer managing crises instead of celebrating revenue.

Your Next Steps:

• Arrange a time to talk with your Sherpa partnership manager. Maximize your ancillary revenue and customer experience, with critical touchpoint roll-outs before the World Cup.
• If you are new to Sherpa, let’s set up a time to talk about your World Cup Readiness. We will discuss integration timelines and revenue modeling specific to your operation, so you can turn risks into opportunities.

The tournament kicks off in June 2026. But proactive preparation starts today.

If your team is playing, you can fulfil all your travel document needs in one place with Sherpa, so you won’t miss a game. Move freely this World Cup at the click of a button.

‍