Argentina has asked the US government to stop 13,000 of their own fans from going to World Cup games.
The Argentine government has asked US authorities to stop about 13,000 fans from attending matches at the 2026 World Cup this summer.
Argentina, as the current champions, are one of the favorites to win the tournament next month. Lionel Scaloni’s team will play in Group J, starting with their first game against Algeria in Kansas City early Wednesday morning. They will also face Austria and Jordan as they try to move on to the knockout rounds.
While many eyes will be on Argentina this summer, the government wants to make sure certain fans don’t travel to these matches. According to Spanish media AS, Argentine officials gave the US a list of around 13,000 parents who owe child support payments.
They believe parents who don’t support their children financially shouldn’t be allowed to go to the World Cup. Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri said, “If they don’t provide for their children, they will not be allowed into the stadium.”
This tough approach comes from a national program called ‘Safe Stands.’ It aims to find parents who have the money to attend games but aren’t paying for their kids’ needs. The list given to US officials includes parents who owe child support and have been officially found behind on payments by Argentine courts.
In recent months, Argentina has worked harder to find those who are behind on payments. By sharing the list with US authorities, they hope to stop anyone with unpaid debts from going to the World Cup.
Since expanding ‘Safe Stands’ in 2023, the program has gained a lot of support in Argentina. Official numbers say over four million fans have been checked at 1,328 football games. During that time, 1,166 people with arrest warrants were found, and many were banned from stadiums.
The list shared with US officials also includes people with a history of violent crimes. Minister of National Security Patricia Bullrich said, “The list includes more than 15,000 people who will be banned from stadiums. For us, this is very important because no violent person who has committed crimes in Argentine stadiums will be allowed at this event.”