GENEVA: US President Donald Trump often says the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are among the events he is most excited about in his second term.

Yet there is significant uncertainty regarding visa policies for foreign visitors planning trips to the US for the two biggest events in sports.

Trump’s latest travel ban on citizens from 12 countries added new questions about the impact on the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, which depend on hosts opening their doors to the world.

Here’s a look at the potential effects of the travel ban on those events.

What is the travel ban policy?
When Sunday ticks over to Monday, citizens of 12 countries should be banned from entering the US

They are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Tighter restrictions will apply to visitors from seven more: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Trump said some countries had “deficient” screening and vetting processes or have historically refused to take back their own citizens.

How does it affect the World Cup and Olympics?
Iran, a soccer power in Asia, is the only targeted country to qualify so far for the World Cup being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico in one year’s time.

Cuba, Haiti and Sudan are in contention. Sierra Leone might stay involved through multiple playoff games. Burundi, Equatorial Guinea and Libya have very outside shots.

But all should be able to send teams to the World Cup if they qualify because the new policy makes exceptions for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.”

About 200 countries could send athletes to the Summer Games, including those targeted by the latest travel restrictions. The exceptions should apply to them as well if the ban is still in place in its current form.

What about fans?
The travel ban doesn’t mention any exceptions for fans from the targeted countries wishing to travel to the US for the World Cup or Olympics.

Even before the travel ban, fans of the Iran soccer team living in that country already had issues about getting a visa for a World Cup visit.

Still, national team supporters often profile differently to fans of club teams who go abroad for games in international competitions like the UEFA Champions League.

For many countries, fans traveling to the World Cup — an expensive travel plan with hiked flight and hotel prices — are often from the diaspora, wealthier, and could have different passport options.

A World Cup visitor is broadly higher-spending and lower-risk for host nation security planning.

Visitors to an Olympics are often even higher-end clients, though tourism for a Summer Games is significantly less than at a World Cup, with fewer still from most of the 19 countries now targeted.

How is the US working with FIFA, Olympic officials?
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has publicly built close ties since 2018 to Trump — too close according to some. He has cited the need to ensure FIFA’s smooth operations at a tournament that will earn a big majority of the soccer body’s expected $13 billion revenue from 2023-26.

Infantino sat next to Trump at the White House task force meeting on May 6 which prominently included Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. FIFA’s top delegate on the task force is Infantino ally Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs partner whose two-year run as US Soccer Federation president ended in controversy in 2020.

Any visa and security issues FIFA faces — including at the 32-team Club World Cup that kicks off next week in Miami — can help LA Olympics organizers finesse their plans.

“It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration and I actually want to thank the federal government for recognizing that,” LA28 chairman and president Casey Wasserman said Thursday in Los Angeles.

“It’s very clear that the federal government understands that that’s an environment that they will be accommodating and provide for,” he said. “We have great confidence that that will only continue. It has been the case to date and it will certainly be the case going forward through the games.”

In March, at an IOC meeting in Greece, Wasserman said he had two discreet meetings with Trump and noted the State Department has a “fully staffed desk” to help prepare for short-notice visa processing in the summer of 2028 — albeit with a focus on teams rather than fans.

IOC member Nicole Hoevertsz, who is chair of the Coordination Commission for LA28, expressed “every confidence” that the US government will cooperate, as it did in hosting previous Olympics.

“That is something that we will be definitely looking at and making sure that it is guaranteed as well,” she said. “We are very confident that this is going to be accomplished. I’m sure this is going to be executed well.”

FIFA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the new Trump travel ban.

What have other host nations done?
The 2018 World Cup host Russia let fans enter the country with a game ticket doubling as their visa. So did Qatar four years later.

Both governments, however, also performed background checks on all visitors coming to the month-long soccer tournaments.

Governments have refused entry to unwelcome visitors. For the 2012 London Olympics, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko — who is still its authoritarian leader today — was denied a visa despite also leading its national Olympic body. The IOC also suspended him from the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

MONTEVIDEO: Carlo Ancelotti’s debut as coach of Brazil ended in a goalless draw in Ecuador in South American World Cup qualifying on Thursday.

Argentina, already assured of a place in next year’s tournament, beat Chile 1-0 in Santiago with a goal from Julian Alvarez, a result which guarantees Lionel Scaloni’s team top spot and leaves bottom placed ‘La Roja’ with virtually no hope of qualifying.

Ancelotti, the 65-year-old Italian, who left Real Madrid at the end of the European season, has been charged with taking Brazil through the latter stages of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The former AC Milan and Chelsea manager replaced Dorival Junior, who was sacked at the end of March after the 4-1 thrashing at the hands of reigning champions and bitter rivals Argentina.

Thursday’s result leaves the Selecao in fourth place in the qualifying table on 22 points while Ecuador, the surprise package in the campaign, remain in second on 24 points.

Argentina lead the standings on 34 points and are the only team to have officially secured their place in the tournament which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Paraguay, who enjoyed a 2-0 win over Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, sit in third place, level on points with Ecuador.

Ecuador knew a win would put them on the brink of qualification and there was a packed crowd at the Estadio Monumental in Guayaquil.

But the home side were dealt a blow just before kick-off when goalkeeper Hernan Galindez suffered a muscle strain in the warm-up and replacement Gonzalo Valle was hurriedly sent out to make his debut.

If Valle had any nerves they eased when he did well to parry a shot from inside the box from Vinicius Jr. who had been set up by Gerson following a turnover.

Chances were limited in a contest where neither side was able to get control of midfield.

The pattern continued after the break with Ecuador, missing their injured striker and talisman Enner Valencia, struggling to pose a threat.

Real Madrid star Vinicius was quiet for much of the game and with Rodrygo absent, Brazil also lacked potency in attack.

The best opening came in the 75th minute when Vinicius broke down the left and cut back to Casemiro, but the Manchester United midfielder, recalled to the national side by Ancelotti, saw a tame side-footed effort easily dealt with by Valle.

While there was no instant impact from Ancelotti, Vinicius, who played under the coach in Madrid, said he needed time to make his impact felt.

“I’m very happy to have Ancelotti here with us, because I’ve always said he’s the best coach I’ve ever worked with. Having the opportunity to work with him in the Brazilian national team is the best,” the winger told SporTV.

“He hasn’t had time to show his work, his game plan, because he’s only had two or three days of training,” he added.

Atletico Madrid striker Alvarez put Argentina ahead at the Estadio Nacional in the 16th minute with a deft finish after he had been put through by a perfectly weighted pass from Thiago Almada.

Lionel Messi came off the bench in the 57th minute but Chile sensed a chance to get something from the game and created more as the game progressed.

Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez made a series of crucial saves and Lucas Cepeda went closest with a fierce shot which struck the bar.

Cepeda then had the best chance of the game when he was found at the back post but he blasted his volley wide.

Messi set up Giuliano Simeone with a chance to make it 2-0 but the son of former Argentina captain and Atletico Madrid coach Diego, fired his shot into the side netting.

A header from midfielder Matías Galarza just 13 minutes into the game and a late penalty from Julio Enciso earned Paraguay a crucial victory over a depleted Uruguay.

The victory left Paraguay on the verge of securing their return to the World Cup for the first time since qualifying for the 2010 finals in South Africa.

Victory in Sao Paulo on Tuesday against Brazil would secure their place in the tournament.

The top six teams in the 10-team qualifying group head directly into the World Cup draw while the seventh placed team must enter the inter-confederation playoffs.