More than five million applications to visit the United States to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 games have so far been approved, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a May 18 statement.
Between Oct. 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, CBP received more than 5.9 million Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) applications under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), out of which over five million have been approved, the agency said. ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to enter the United States under VWP, which allows 42 nations to travel to America for tourism or business purposes without a visa for stays up to 90 days.
