Olympics
Olympic-sized visa problem looms over LA28
BY ALEX OLLER.
With sports diplomacy at the core of the issue, some question whether Donald Trump’s recent immigration and transgender policies might end up costing the United States millions of dollars and even more in reputation as the country ploughs ahead in the organisation of the next Summer Games.
The recently-elected North American leader first threatened years ago to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico and partially succeeded in his first term. In the leadup to his second mandate, he promised mass deportations of illegal migrants and has started carrying them out at a record pace since taking office in January. At 78 years old, Trump seems as proactive as ever and just doubled down on what he calls “the defence of women’s sport” by issuing a warning that he would not allow transgender athletes to compete in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
With most in the Republican party abhorring the notion that gender could be defined by something other than males and females, the matter is front and centre when it comes to sporting competition, and the US president is making sure his newest eligibility guidelines are pushed through, as made evident last week when he unilaterally decided to exclude transgender girls and women from female sports and urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to “change everything to do with the Olympics and this absolutely ridiculous subject”.
While the United States claims to be “the land of the free and the home of the brave” in its national anthem, restrictions and subsequent fear are spreading like wildfire on many fronts of late. Getting into the country has historically been quite the ordeal for the many migrants that today strengthen the backbone of the world superpower, and Trump’s re-election after being ousted from office four years ago will most definitely not make it any easier, quite the contrary. Yet one problem, setting aside moral and humanitarian concerns, could very well be one Republicans understand quite well: Money.
As the country gears up for the celebration of seven big-time events in the next 10 years, including the FIFA 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, the fear among organisers and sporting bodies alike is that even stricter immigration policies end up resulting in the worst-case scenario of both fans and athletes being left at the gate, with the ensuing and considerable revenue loss if the situation escalates; not to mention a major hit to the nation’s democratic reputation.
“The Trump administration didn’t prioritize visa processing in its first term. It really slowed it down, removing requirements to process visas quickly. So I can’t imagine that there’s going to be some full-court press to get these visas processed in a short amount of time,” David J. Bier, Associate Director for Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute told The Los Angeles Times last month. “It’s going to be a massive problem. There’s no one paying attention to this at all.”
The fact is that, despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s desire to stage “the most inclusive World Cup ever” in about a year and a half, the US remains a tough sell when it comes to open-arms policies as Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) slogan solidifies itself through a revamped administration that is dealing with major upheaval since he was sworn in for his second go-round. North of six million visitors are expected to attend the tournament by early calculations, and a Los Angeles-sized bureaucratic gridlock could very well jeopardise the event’s financial turnout, setting a terrible precedent that looms large over the Summer Games’ still positive current outlook, despite the many setbacks.
The tragic California fires hit hard as the host city pushes to overcome the destruction and keep the Olympic spirit alive, but the multicultural fabric of Angelinos remains mostly intact for now, even as the new anti-immigration policies are resulting in traumatic raids and sped-up deportations, especially within the Latino communities.
About a quarter of the close to two million applicants for visas were denied entry in 2023 under the previous Joe Biden administration, and the crackdown by the re-energised MAGA movement foresees an even sharper whip regarding the refusal of migrants or even tourists; and now it seems, also transgenders as the Department of Homeland Security will be able to “review and adjust, as needed, policies permitting admission to the United States of males seeking to participate in women’s sports.”
While transgender participation has rarely been an issue in Olympic history after such athletes were allowed to compete for the first time about two decades ago, the far-more-complex topic of gender eligibility remains a hot-button, unresolved topic that blew up in Paris 2024 with the boxing tournament’s gender row. As blowback mounted regarding the inclusion of allegedly suspect female fighters Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who had previously been barred from competing in the International Boxing Association championships for failing their eligibility guidelines, critics often mistakenly lumped both into the “transgender” category; a misconception that the IOC was quick to point out. Even their characterization as Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) athletes remains flawed, as no such evidence has been provided to date.
Regardless, Trump has marched on with his so-called “defence of the women’s category”, fully backed (or led) by new best friend and fellow mogul Elon Musk, who is also spearheading widespread cutbacks on federal funding in an advisory role. That tendency would most definitely take its toll on an already bare-bones system that features long wait periods for the processing of all kinds of visas, which could very well discourage many supporters from attending both the FIFA World Cup and ensuing sporting events.
“I am deeply concerned that there does not seem to be an appetite for making sure that the State Department is funded and prepared and focused on this issue,” California Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove recently told the press. “It is untenable that we would not surge resources to make sure that we have the right folks in the right places. They need to facilitate these interviews and get these visas to those who are trying to enter our country for legitimate reasons. It will be unacceptable that we allow our country to fail at putting our best foot forward for the World Cup.”
Even as Musk and other newly-appointed government officials axe away at the federal budget, Trump has showcased his closeness with Infantino in the buildup to the football -or ‘soccer’- extravaganza while he patiently awaits for the IOC to elect a new leader to succeed German Thomas Bach in its March presidential election. The American has avoided pronouncing his preferred candidate among the seven finalists for now, yet it appears logical that Briton Sebastian Coe would emerge as his top choice, with the current boss of World Athletics having displayed the harshest hand on the gender debate so far, effectively banning DSD athletes from track & field competitions.
While none of the presidential hopefuls are proposing a veto on transgender participation at the Olympics as of now and the IOC has publicly insisted that it intends to operate without political interference, an unnamed US official recently warned reporters that “if you are coming into the country and you are claiming that you are a woman, but you are a male here to compete against women, we’re going to be reviewing that for fraud.”
Even if the anti-migrant, zero tolerance on transgenders rhetoric undeniably resonates with the MAGA fanbase, the greater Los Angeles area is still hoping to rake in around $600 million (€580 million) from around 180,000 expected World Cup visitors, according to a report by Micronomics Economic Research and Consulting, with calculations reaching the $3.75 billion (€3.63 bn) mark on a national level.
As for the US State Department, it recently issued a statement stressing that it is “committed to protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process.”
-Inside the Games
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Nigeria’s men’s and women’s flag football teams made history in Cairo by clinching gold at the first-ever IFAF African Flag Football Championships, a landmark moment in the sport’s journey towards its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
In a thrilling men’s final at Club One Stadium in Maadi, Nigeria edged host nation Egypt 13-12 before a lively home crowd. The match was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ashraf Sobhi.
The Nigerian women’s team also delivered a commanding performance in their final, defeating Morocco 26-12. Quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello led the charge with two decisive touchdowns in the second half, securing the title and underscoring Nigeria’s growing dominance in the sport.
Tunisia (men) and Egypt (women) took home bronze medals, completing the continent’s first-ever flag football championship podiums.
Africa Makes History
The two-day tournament (June 20–21, 2025), organized under the auspices of the Egyptian Federation of American Football, featured 11 teams from eight nations. It marked the opening event of IFAF’s 2025 Continental Championship Series, the most expansive competition cycle in flag football history, culminating in LA28.
As newly crowned African champions, both Nigerian teams earned automatic qualification for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships. The competition also saw 10 national teams receive their first-ever official world rankings.
Emotional Reactions from Champions and Rivals
“This is a great achievement for us and I’m proud of every woman here,” said Nigeria’s women’s quarterback Anuoluwapo Bello. “I’m excited for the opportunity to go to the World Championships and show everyone what we can do.”
“It’s amazing, surreal, historic and unbelievable,” added Nigeria’s men’s quarterback Hayes Obinna-Uzoh. “We’ve made history.”
Egypt’s men’s quarterback Mahmoud Aboushady praised the passionate home support: “We gave it our all but just came up short. The crowd was incredible — a big turnout, all cheering — and that was really touching.”
Morocco’s women’s centre Sonia Mouimen also reflected on the atmosphere: “We rarely see crowds this size making so much noise outside of soccer matches. I’m very proud of my team.”
NFL and IFAF: Partners in Growth
Flag football, one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, is expanding rapidly across Africa. Many IFAF member federations recorded more than 100% growth in participation last year.
The Cairo event was organized in partnership with the NFL, which is working with IFAF to build a sustainable development pathway for the sport across the continent.
Alongside the main competition, the NFL hosted a series of legacy-building activities:
- A continental youth flag football championship for U12 boys and girls
- A talent ID camp offering routes into the NFL Africa-Europe Academy and the International Player Pathway (IPP) program
- A coaching education clinic for aspiring female coaches, featuring IFAF Global Flag Ambassador Elisa De Santis (France)
Star NFL players of African descent, Bobby Okereke (New York Giants, Nigeria) and Tanoh Kpassagnon (Cote d’Ivoire/Uganda), were present in Cairo, joined by two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora, the NFL’s Africa lead.
“The first African Continental Championship was a tremendous success, and Egypt proved to be the perfect host,” said Umenyiora. “It was inspiring to see nations from across the continent come together and showcase their incredible talent.”
Looking Ahead
IFAF President Pierre Trochet hailed the championship as a foundational moment:
“Every player and official who set foot on the field in Cairo this week can claim a piece of history. More important than the history is the future. We are committed, alongside the NFL, to using this tournament as a springboard for long-term growth.”
Egyptian Federation President Ali Rafeek echoed the sentiment:
“No words can truly capture the emotion of this moment. It was a world-class competition filled with outstanding performances and incredible energy. Africa is officially on the flag football map.”
The event also marked the beginning of IFAF’s partnership with the International Testing Agency, which launched anti-doping education initiatives for athletes and officials during the championship.
The IFAF Continental Flag Football series continues later this year with EURO FLAG 2025 in Paris, France.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. exempts athletes, and LA28 officials said on Thursday they were confident the Games had the full backing of the administration.
Trump signed the proclamation on Wednesday as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats.
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“The important thing for us is that the federal government and this administration recognized the importance of the Olympics and the Games,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover told Reuters on Thursday.
“There is a carve-out in the order in the travel ban that allows for and assures that there will be access to the Games for the athletes and their families and officials.
“We will be able to have a wide-open Games.”
The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The entry of people from seven other countries – Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela – will be partially restricted.
Casey Wasserman, the chairman of LA28, the private, non-profit company organizing the Games, said he had “great confidence” that the positive working relationship with the administration would continue.
“It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration, and I want to thank the federal government for recognizing that,” he told a press conference after hosting International Olympic Committee officials in Los Angeles.
Wasserman added that he did not anticipate the travel ban to have any impact on ticket sales, which will begin next year.
The U.S. along with Canada and Mexico will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and Trump said during a task force meeting last month that he wanted people traveling to the U.S. to watch that competition to have a seamless experience during their visit.
“At the White House task force the president, the vice president, all of the administration officials said, ‘We welcome the world to come to FIFA,’” Hoover said.
“I think the administration is welcoming the world to come to LA.”
Hoover said LA28 continues to forge ties with the administration ahead of the mega-sporting event, now just over three years away.
“We have direct communication with the White House through the chief of staff, we have direct communication with the Department of State, and we are working with the State Department to have embedded teams to coordinate visa access,” he said.
-Reuters
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The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature an increase in women’s soccer teams from 12 to 16, while the men’s competition will be downsized from 16 to a dozen teams, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
The decision was part of several changes to the Olympic event programme, including more mixed events across various sports and all team sports featuring at least the same number of women’s and men’s teams.
The IOC said the reason for the sharp increase in women’s soccer teams was the rapidly growing popularity of women’s team sports, especially in the United States, and that change in the competition format reflected that rapid growth.
“We wanted to do something to reflect that growth and equally with the United States being the home of the highest level of popularity of women’s football,” IOC sports director Kit McConnell told a press conference.
He said the IOC had discussed the issue with both LA Games organisers and world soccer’s governing body FIFA before going through with the changes.
The total number of players — men’s and women’s — would not change.
The United States, who will also host the 2026 men’s and the 2031 women’s World Cup, have won five Olympic gold medals in the women’s competition.
The men’s teams use mostly under-23 players at Olympic Games.
The LA Games will have a total of 351 medal events in all sports, 22 more than at Paris 2024 Olympics.
Several sports, including archery, athletics, golf and gymnastics will be adding new mixed-team events, with the total number of athletes unchanged at 10,500.
The five sports proposed by the LA Games organising committee — baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash — will have an extra 698 quota places.
-Reuters
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