Can football’s biggest stage stay global as visa denials and border restrictions mount?
The excitement of the World Cup has arrived in North America. But behind it have been stories of fans being denied visas, players being searched by sniffer dogs, and Iran’s team being forced to base itself outside the US. What happens when a global tournament collides with US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies?
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- Boima Tucker (@chiefboimah), director of operations, Africa Is a Country
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat and Tamara Khandaker with Marcos Bartolomé, Spencer Cline, Jana Dabliz, Catherine Nouhan, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Sarí el-Khalili.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.
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Published On 23 Jun 2026
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