A soccer fan from Scotland says he is “devasted” after his ability to travel to the U.S. for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was revoked without explanation, only days before he was set to fly to the country and watch Scotland compete in the tournament for the first time since 1998.
In an interview with Newsweek, Kenny Smith, a musician and business owner from Inverness, described the “heartache” at missing out on the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” after his status on the electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)—a pre-screening system for travelers from Visa Waiver Program nations—changed from approved to “Travel Not Authorized.”
Smith says he found out his ESTA, previously approved for a trip in November and supposedly valid until 2027, was revoked last Wednesday, forcing him into an“urgent and costly visa application process” and making him one of a number of Scots to have suffered a similar fate when trying to travel to the U.S. for the competition.
Smith told Newsweek on Thursday he had hoped the U.S. would be more welcoming to Scottish fans, given President Donald Trump’s interests in the nation and the fact his mother hailed from Scotland’s Western Isles.
“Donald Trump has got such a close connection to not only Scotland but the Western Isles. Now, believe it or not, my family are from the Western Isles, and I’d have thought maybe he’d want one of his cousins [given] special entry, but he’s not actually opening up the process for me.
“We’ve welcomed as a nation Donald Trump and every single American to this country with open arms, time and time again. It’s about time the hospitality was returned, and it has to be returned quick.”
Scottish Fans Denied Entry
Several Scottish fans—collectively referred to as the “Tartan Army”—have reportedly had their travel permissions revoked only days out from Scotland’s first match against Haiti on Sunday, leading Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, to intervene and contact U.S. agencies in the hopes that “they can resolve this so that Scotland’s fans do not miss out.
This week, Michael Wright told the BBC that he was meant to be heading to watch Scotland’s group-stage games before heading elsewhere, but his ESTA switched from “approved” to “pending,” to “travel not authorized” only an hour before his flight.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department on Wednesday for comment on Scottish fans being denied entry. Newsweek contacted DHS on Thursday morning regarding Smith’s case.
‘No Explanation’ For Travel Being Denied
Per DHS guidelines, ESTAs can be denied or revoked for several reasons relating to eligibility or inconsistencies in the application, including past criminal activity, an individual having overstayed an ESTA in the past.
A DHS spokesperson told the BBC that stricter rules surrounding ESTAs were due to the Trump administration “enforcing immigration laws”.
“Under the Visa Waiver Program, all ESTA applications are continuously vetted against law enforcement and security databases,” the spokesperson said, adding that prospective travelers “must provide complete and truthful information, including all criminal history.”
Like Wright, Smith told Newsweek there was “no explanation” given for the change in his status, that he has “no criminal record whatsoever,” and that he has now spent hundreds of pounds and many “stressful hours” contacting embassies in an attempt to secure a visa appointment.
This is now scheduled for Tuesday morning in London thanks to his local Member of Parliament intervening to expedite the process, Smith said, but this means he will definitely miss Scotland’s opening game on Sunday.
“After the life and soul has been ripped out of me, I’m not going to make the first game,” he said. “And it’s the first game I wanted to be at, I had to be at.”
In total, Smith estimates that the entire trip has cost him almost £20,000 (around $26,700), only some of which will be recoverable as some hotel bookings are non-refundable, certain flights cannot be changed, and his travel insurance provider has told him he shoulders any costs associated with visa issues.
“The money’s not the big factor. The factor is I’m missing the first game of the World Cup, the first game to watch Scotland against Haiti, and I won’t be there,” Smith said.
“I’m absolutely devastated. If we’d had this call an hour ago I might’ve been in tears.”
US Should Make ‘Public Apology’ For Fan Inconvenience
Reflecting on other issues that have plagued this competition—such as the high price of tickets and referees being denied entry to the U.S.—Smith said the 2026 tournament was already shaping up to be a disappointment from many angles.
“You hear the FIFA President banging on about how this is great—the president of the U.S. saying this is the best World Cup ever—this is not the best World Cup. This has got off to the worst possible start.”
And Smith believes that, if and when the issue has been rectified, the U.S. should issue an apology to fans who like him have struggled to attend the competition.
“Someone has to stand up and say, ‘It was our fault. We’re really sorry. We’re making a public apology to the entire nation of Scotland and all the fans,’” he said. “And there has to be some sort of reimbursement. I’m in the fortunate position that it’s not going to finish me. But it’ll finish some people.”
Smith said that the Scottish government appeared to be doing everything in its powers to address the matter, reportedly affecting several of the nation’s travelling fans, and that his local Member of Parliament, Jamie Stone, had been “nothing short of amazing.”
This week, Stone raised the matter during First Minister’s Questions—the Scottish parliament’s twice-weekly question-and-answer session—with the country’s head of government. Swinney responded by saying he understood the frustrations of fans, and that while the government had not received information from the U.S. about specific cases, he promised to “do all that we can to help out and resolve these issues.”
“Football unites people across borders, faiths and backgrounds. That’s why it’s deeply disappointing to see Scottish supporters, including my constituent Kenny Smith, having visas refused or revoked without explanation,” Stone told Newsweek on Thursday. “It strikes me that the U.S.—with a President whose own mother is from the Scottish Isles and who holds a deep affection for Scotland—should hopefully step in to help these fans.
“Where there is a legitimate reason, so be it,” Stone continued. “Where there isn’t, these issues must be resolved quickly so fans can attend the games.
“My hope is the U.S. authorities, the UK Government and the Scottish Government can all work together to resolve this issue quickly.”
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