The World Cup is cracking down on its attendee list.
After all, Argentina reportedly provided the United States with a list of 13,000 parents who have failed to pay child support, requesting they be banned from attending games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Â
âThose who fail to meet a responsibility as fundamental as feeding their children must face the consequences,â Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri said, according to an Instagram post by Goal. âIf they do not provide for their children, they will not be allowed into the stadium.â
The listâcompiled by Argentina's Public Registry of Child Support Debtors (RPAM)âis made up of mostly fathers from Buenos Aires as well as 13 other provinces, according to the Sunday Tribune. The database also flagged individuals linked to violent criminal records as well as soccer âhooliganism,â per the outlet.
Since the World Cup matches span across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, Argentina lacks the domestic power to ban the perpetrators themselves. Therefore, the 13,000 individuals were shared with U.S. homeland and tournament security agencies with the hope that they will be barred from the stadium.
As for how the U.S. could enact such limitations?Â
Well, the goal is to allow U.S. immigration and stadium ticketing systems to flag these individuals at points of entry or digital checkpoints as a reminder that withholding money from their families while balling out on soccer tickets simply wonât fly with officials.
And itâs no surprise that soccer fans are hoping to score a front row seat at this yearâs World Cup. After all, Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi is back for a sixth time as the squad hopes to defend its 2022 championship title.
Even more, the 38-year-old could make history at this World cup by breaking the record for the most goals in the men's tournament. Currently, heâs tied with retired German soccer player Miroslav Klose at 16 goals each.Â
But none of it would be possible without his teammates. Indeed, the athlete recently opened up about how his colleagues stick together on and off the field.Â
âHonestly, completely unrelated to the sport,â Messi told reporters following Argentinaâs June 16 victory against Algeria, per The Athletic. âI went through some difficult, complicated days.âÂ
While he didnât go into detail about his personal strugglesâMessiâs family later confirmed his dad Jorge Messi had been navigating a health issueâhe emphasized how his soccer brethren remained in his corner through it all. Â
âIâm grateful to the entire delegation, to my teammates,â he added. âThey were always there for me, as always. They gave me a lot of strength to get through this, and thatâs all.â