US Visa Revoked for World Cup Attendee One Hour Before Flight

A Scottish soccer fan said Wednesday that the United States government revoked his visitor visa without an obvious reason an hour before his flight to watch his team play in the FIFA World Cup.

Michael Wright told the BBC that he was meant to be heading to watch Scotland‘s group stage matches before heading elsewhere, but his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) switched from “approved” to “pending,” to “travel not authorized” within a few hours, saying, “There’s no valid reason for them to decline it.”

Wright had moved to Australia nine years ago, but returned home for two weeks to see family before planning to fly out of Manchester, England, with his brother. He had applied for the ESTA in March, the BBC said.

Other reports of ESTA issues have also appeared online, with tourists who thought their travel was cleared now facing embassy appointments.

Newsweek reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department for comment.

Earlier this week, a Somali referee had his visa revoked by the Trump administration, with officials claiming he was “inadmissible due to vetting concerns.” The government has repeatedly said, when asked about visa revocations, that it is enforcing immigration laws more stringently.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 1:02 PM.