Dozens of Argentines, whose hopes of attending the World Cup in the United States were dashed by visa denials, are receiving an unexpected consolation prize: a brand new television to watch the games from home.
The generous offer comes from Argentine conglomerate Newsan, which pledged to distribute local brand Noblex televisions to the first 100 individuals presenting proof of a US visa rejection between January and June of this year.
Queues formed outside its Buenos Aires office on Wednesday, following an Instagram advertisement that boldly declared: “Give us your denied visa and take a free TV.”
Among the fortunate recipients was Tomas Vageller, a 24-year-old professional videogame player. “I went to get a visa because we all think it will be Messi’s last World Cup,” he explained. “It’s very sad I won’t be able to see it, but well, I’m leaving with a gift.”
Despite Argentina being three-time World Cup winners, the usual fervent “soccer fever” appears unusually subdued in the days leading up to the 2026 tournament in North America.
This contrasts sharply with the intense national excitement witnessed in 2022, when many believed it represented Lionel Messi‘s final opportunity to lead the team to victory.
The tournament, held in Qatar, saw Argentina win their first World Cup since 1986, beating France in the final on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Argentina begin their 2026 campaign on Wednesday, 17th June against Algeria in Group J. The other two teams in their group are Austria and debutants Jordan.
Visas have been an issue for not just fans but players and officials at this World Cup due to strict and aggressive border restrictions imposed by Donald Trump’s administration in the United States.
Iran’s fans and players have been severely impacted due to the conflict in the Middle East, with ticket allocations revoked and the team having to relocate their base to Mexico despite all their group games being in the US.
Elsewhere, fans from Haiti, Iraqi personnel, the head of Palestine football, Somalian referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan and Switzerland striker Breel Embolo have all faced difficulty entering the US or refused entry entirely.
