As Paraguay prepares to return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years, an unexpected voice has joined the conversation about access to the 2026 tournament: a former beauty queen with a personal history linked to the man now back in the White House.
Guadalupe Gonzalez, a model and Miss Universe Paraguay 2013, posted an emotional video on Instagram last month, urging President Donald Trump to ease visa restrictions for Paraguayan soccer fans hoping to travel to the United States next summer. Wearing the national team’s red-and-white jersey, she recalled meeting Trump during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, an event he owned and attended at the time.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The plea comes amid mounting logistical concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Tourism access, especially for countries outside the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, remains one of the tournament’s biggest hurdles. Paraguay, along with Colombia, Morocco and Iran, all of which have qualified for the tournament, requires citizens to obtain a B1/B2 visa to enter the U.S.
What To Know
In her Instagram video directed at Trump, Gonzalez described Paraguay’s return to the tournament as “a huge dream that we all share.”
In a caption written in Spanish, she said many Paraguayans had already been denied visas and joked that “a free pass” just for the World Cup would be welcome. She also pledged to launch a campaign to help more fans attend if visa access improves.
The process for Paraguayans to obtain a B1/B2 tourist visa includes an in-person interview at a U.S. embassy, fingerprinting, and proof that the traveler intends to return to their country of residence. Applicants are typically required to show job letters, property records, or family ties—requirements that are often harder for younger or lower-income fans to meet.
In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. denied 18.9 percent of B visa applications from Paraguay, according to State Department data. That rate was higher than Argentina (8.9 percent) and Uruguay (2.6 percent), but lower than Ecuador (37 percent) and Colombia (24.7 percent).
While those figures predate Trump’s return to office, visa access has already begun tightening. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that many fans who don’t already have visa appointments are unlikely to obtain one in time.
Wait times in Asunción are currently around three months—shorter than in places like Bogotá (15 months) or Casablanca (six and a half). However, with demand rising, officials are warning that backlogs and stricter screening could prevent thousands of fans from attending.
FIFA estimates that nearly half of World Cup attendees will come from outside the U.S., and host cities have spent billions upgrading infrastructure to accommodate them. But without faster visa processing, many of those fans may not be able to enter the country.
National soccer federations are also being affected. Iran, which has qualified for the tournament, stated on Thursday that the U.S. had denied visas to Federation President Mehdi Taj, National Team coach Amir Ghalenoei, and seven other officials ahead of the World Cup draw in November. Iran is among the countries still covered by Trump’s travel ban, a policy that could also block players’ families and staff.
What People Are Saying
A State Department spokesperson told The Athletic: “Soccer fans in Paraguay who wish to attend the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and do not already have a U.S. visitor visa, have plenty of time to schedule an interview appointment before next summer.”
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said in a Newsweek op-ed: “As the countdown to the 2026 World Cup advances, FIFA must do more than claim ‘the world is welcome in America’—when all the evidence is to the contrary.”
Vice President JD Vance said at a May meeting of the White House’s World Cup Task Force: “Of course, everyone is welcome to come and see this wonderful event… But when the time is up, we want them to go home.”
What Happens Next
The official World Cup draw will take place on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Trump is expected to attend.