The International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has called on FIFA to intervene urgently after accredited journalists reported difficulties obtaining visas to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

With only days remaining before the tournament begins, AIPS said it was “unacceptable” that several media representatives, despite receiving official FIFA accreditation, were still facing significant visa obstacles.

In a letter sent on Friday, 5 June, AIPS President Gianni Merlo appealed directly to FIFA Director of Media Relations Bryan Swanson and FIFA Head of Media Operations & Services Jochen Steinhoff, urging the governing body to help secure access for affected journalists.

Merlo highlighted a number of cases involving reporters from Iran and several African nations, with some journalists reportedly being granted only single-entry visas. This restriction could prevent them from re-entering the United States if they travel to Canada or Mexico to follow their national teams during the tournament.

“There are many cases,” Merlo wrote. “Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States. The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable.”

He added that the situation contradicted the widely promoted belief that sport should unite people and build bridges between nations.

“Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction,” he said.

AIPS also stressed the importance of ensuring journalists can carry out their work freely during one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

“We believe it is important to allow colleagues to attend the event and work, because their presence will be crucial to the image of sport and what it represents, especially in a country like the United States of America, where freedom of the press is a must,” Merlo stated.

The organisation warned that delays had already caused practical and financial problems for many reporters, with some missing previously booked flights and facing additional travel costs.

“I hope FIFA can do everything possible to secure visas,” Merlo concluded. “We’re already significantly behind schedule, and many colleagues have already lost the opportunity to use plane tickets booked on time, and they’ll also face significant additional expenses.”