Journalists in Senegal face a complex bureaucratic problem that prevents full coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The press delegation, assigned to accompany the African team, is unable to travel to Canada due to the strict immigration policies of the United States.
Senegalese media professionals are forced to remain on North American soil, as the clash between the “Lions of Teranga” and Iraq, valid for the third round of the tournament, will take place in Canada on June 26th. After initial requests for access to the United States were denied, some reporters obtained ninety-day visas, which, however, only allow a single entry into the country.
In practice, this means that any journalist who crosses the border into Canada to cover the match will not be able to return to the United States. The restriction prevents work from continuing if the Senegalese team advances to the next stages of the championship, compromising complete coverage of the event.
Abdoulaye Thiam, president of the National Sports Press Association of Senegal, expressed deep regret over the situation in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde. He described the scenario as a “great desolation” and a “huge disappointment” for the category.
Thiam emphasized that the role of journalists is professional, not that of fans, and that the main objective is to follow the Senegal team, in addition to covering the rest of the World Cup, which for the first time will be played in three different countries. The limitations imposed, however, prevent this comprehensive work.
According to reports from Ibrahima Mboup, journalist and commentator for Radio Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS), none of his Senegalese colleagues will be able to travel to Toronto for the last match of the group stage. All were forced to remain exclusively in the United States.
Mboup, who is at his third World Cup, described the circumstances as “not ideal working conditions”. He lamented the lack of choice and the need to adapt to decisions by American authorities, which drastically limit the scope of his coverage.
There is still concern that this impasse will repeat itself. If the Senegal team manages to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition, journalists may once again face the dilemma of moving between host countries.
Differences in visa policies for African nations
The report reveals that the migratory situation is not uniform for the ten African nations participating in the World Cup. During the Trump administration, visas were issued individually, case by case, resulting in different treatments for each delegation. For example, press representatives from Ghana, Tunisia and Morocco obtained multiple-entry visas, allowing them to move freely between the United States, Canada and Mexico during the tournament, according to the federations of these teams.
Conversely, journalists from Côte d’Ivoire received visas valid for only two entries into the United States. The most extreme case was that of reporters from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who had their visa applications categorically denied to both the US and Canada, allegedly for reasons related to the Ebola epidemic.