Forty members of a Moroccan supporters association were denied U.S. visas ahead of the 2026 World Cup, leaving a planned trip to Ivory Coast in limbo after fans had already spent thousands on tickets, hotels and paperwork. The group said 40 of 42 applicants were refused without explanation.

Azzedine Al Attaraoui said some supporters had already bought tickets for up to three matches at around $500 each, paid visa fees of 1,800 MAD and booked hotels costing as much as $1,000 a night. In some cases, he said, total spending reached 20,000 MAD before the refusals arrived. “No clear reasons were given for the visa refusals,” he said, adding: “We just want to support our national team.”

The denials hit fans from Casablanca, Marrakech, Fès and Tétouan, many of whom were counting on the tournament as the next chapter in a pattern they see as part of Morocco’s football identity. Al Attaraoui said the group had traveled to the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and to Qatar in 2022, and that supporters had also followed Morocco to Chile for the U20 team with help from the authorities.

Mourad Hamana said nearly 50 group coordinators applied for visas and only six were approved, a number he said was far too small for the scale of support Moroccan fans hoped to bring. “To organize thousands of fans, six people is a very small number,” he said. He added that at least 30 coordinators would be needed to create the atmosphere Moroccan supporters are known for, and recalled that fans had built that reputation again at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025.

The refusals also affected members of the Sbouaa supporters group, and many of the applications were rejected under Section 214, the U.S. immigration provision often cited when officers are not persuaded an applicant will leave after the visit. Hamana said: “All of us have stable situations in Morocco and no intention of migrating,” while Al Attaraoui said the issue had nothing to do with a lack of willingness to pay. “If they asked for financial guarantees, we would do that,” he said.

Al Attaraoui called on FIFA to intervene and urged Morocco’s Foreign Ministry to help facilitate travel, while Hamana appealed to Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to step in. For now, the unanswered question is whether the visa wall holds or whether football authorities or Moroccan diplomats can reopen the path for fans who already paid to be there.