Argentina urges US government to ban entry of 13 thousand of its fans

Argentina joins the tournament as world champion and is considered one of the top favourites to win the trophy again.

Lionel Scanlon's team heads the J Group and the first match will be held against Algeria in Kansas City in the early hours of Wednesday.

He will then face Austria and Jordan in an effort to ensure the transition to the direct elimination phase.

World attention will be focused on Argentina this summer, but the country's government wants to ensure that a large number of fans are not allowed to travel to attend the matches.

According to the Spanish medium “AS”, Argentina officials have handed over to the United States authorities a list of about 13,000 parents who have not paid mandatory fees for their children's financial support.

They believe that parents who have not fulfilled their obligations to children should not be allowed to follow the 2026 World Cup closely.

Buenos Aires Chairman Jorge Macri stated: “If they don't take care of their children financially, they won't be allowed to enter the” stadium.

This harsh stance of Argentina stems from a government initiative called “SafeTribons” (Safe Stands).

The programme aims to identify and punish parents who find money to attend sporting events while neglecting their children's basic needs.

The list handed over to the American authorities includes persons who are indebted to allimentation and who were previously declared debtors by the Argentinan courts.

In recent months the focus has increased on identifying people who have been left on unpaid payments, a situation that occurs when a mandatory payment is not conducted within the set term.

The Argentinian government hopes that, by sharing this list with American law enforcement forces, it can identify and prevent any people with unpaid debts trying to pursue a World Cup match.

Since the “SafeTribons” expanded in 2023, it has received broad support in Argentina.

Official statistics show that more than four million spectators have been checked at 1,328 soccer matches.

During this period 1,166 persons have been identified with unmet warrants, while dozens of administrative bans have been issued.

In addition to those with unpaid financial obligations, the broader list includes individuals with violent stories.

“List includes more than 15,000 people who will be banned from entering stadium”, National Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said.

This is extremely important for us because no violent person who committed any crime in the Argentinian stadiums will be able to attend this” sports event