Fans of a 2026 World Cup nation have been left devastated and ‘heartbroken’ as last-minute changes to travel permits threaten to prevent them reaching North America this summer.

There’s now less than a week to go before this summer’s showpiece international tournament gets underway. Joint-hosts Mexico welcome South Africa to the iconic Estadio Azteca on June 11.

A record 104 matches will be played over the coming weeks, culminating in the 2026 World Cup final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Fans Impacted by Late ESTA Status Change

The build-up to this year’s World Cup has been overshadowed by various controversial talking points, including potential travel visas impacting various countries.

Scotland were not among the countries expected to be affected. However, some fans from the British nation have been impacted days before the tournament begins.

UK citizens wishing to go to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa must apply to the country’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

But dozens of supporters who filled out the form say their application status changed from “approved” to “travel not authorized” this week.

Impacted fans have told BBC Scotland News that they now stand to lose thousands of pounds in travel costs due to the changes.

One of those fans is 43-year-old Scott Braid, who was due to fly to Boston on June 12 with his wife and two children.

He booked the “once-in-a-lifetime trip” after his ESTA application was approved, but a late change has left his travel plans in severe jeopardy.

“Out of the blue on Tuesday, I got an email that said there’s been an update on your ESTA status,” Scott, who travelled to America in 2023 with no issues, told the BBC. “Since I’ve done that ESTA there’s been absolutely no changes to my circumstances.

Scott has encouraged his family to press ahead with the trip in the hope he will be able to join them during the tournament after securing a visa appointment in Belfast next week.

Brothers Andrew and Nelson Speirs find themselves in a similar situation and have also arranged an appointment at the US consulate in Belfast next week after their ESTA status changed unexpectedly.

Their ESTAs were initially approved on December 15 and remained that way until June 3, when the system updated and revealed they were no longer permitted to travel.

“It’s not given us very much time to do anything about it,” Nelson, who has spent a combined £10,000 on the trip alongside his brother, told BBC Scotland News.

“I don’t think it’s fair, they shouldn’t authorise somebody to go then take it back. We didn’t book anything until we were authorised.”

Booked as part of a trip for Andrew’s 40th birthday celebration, Nelson says the news has left him “heartbroken”.

Scotland begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Haiti on June 13 before taking on Morocco five days later. They wrap up Group C with a mouth-watering clash against Brazil on June 24.

If you think you’ve had a bad 2026 so far, spare a thought for YouTuber and podcaster Adam22, who has almost undoubtedly had a worse year.

Firstly, the 42-year-old stepped into the boxing ring back in January to take on adult film star Jason Luv, in the hope that, once and for all, they could squash their beef that has been going on for years now.

The beef started when Luv worked with Adam22’s wife, Lena the Plug, more on her later, and although it was strictly professional, comments that the former made after the collaboration didn’t sit well with Adam22, who then blacklisted him from working with his wife in future.

However, that didn’t happen, as Lana then did work with Luv once more, leading to the pair settling their differences inside the ropes.

Jason Luv Knocks Out Adam22

So, as a lot of influencers tend to do these days, Adam22 and Luv looked to settle the score in the boxing ring, on a show hosted by fellow streamer Adin Ross. And, well, the fight went exactly as many would’ve thought.

There was really no quality on show, and for Adam22, he spent most of the round with his back turned to his opponent and simply running away from him. Eventually, after being caught by one too many punches, he dropped to his knees, with the referee stepping in and waving off the contest. Luv had got the job done in the very first round with minimal fuss.

Speaking after the fight, Adam22 was adamant that he was still the winner in life despite the result, mainly because, in his words, he had the girl, but Lena still did her best to humiliate her husband with her own post-fight comments, claiming Luv was better in bed than he was in the ring.

It wasn’t just after the fight Lena The Plug was issuing humiliating comments either. She did so in the build-up to the fight as well during the pre-fight press conference.

When asked for her thoughts about her husband’s fight against a man she’s bedded twice, Lena said: “Jason is a very large man, large in many ways, but they’re pretty comparable in size when you put them right next to each other.”

Understandably, Adam22 looked rather confused and especially annoyed at his wife’s remarks, before going on to defend his own size by claiming he’s actually bigger than Luv.

So, although he probably made a fair chunk of money from the fight, Adam22 was humiliated before, during, and after.

Lena the Plug & Adam22 Get Divorced

Now, fast forward to June, just five months after the fight, Adam22 has also lost the girl, it would seem, as it has been widely reported that she’s filed for a divorce, putting an end to their marriage.

Not only has Lena filed for divorce, she’s also seeking full custody of the pair’s five-year-old child. According to legal paperwork seen by TMZ, she has also claimed to be unemployed and living solely off the $3,000 per month that Adam pays her in spousal support.

Lena is also demanding half of Adam’s recording studio, believed to be worth in excess of $1.1 million. The pair officially separated in mid-April after three years of marriage.

The 2026 World Cup is nearly here. Excitement is building for this summer’s tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

For the first time in World Cup history, 48 teams will be vying for the title, and each nation, regardless of whether they are a global powerhouse or a rank outsider, will be dreaming of lifting the trophy at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

Some of the managers that will be at the 2026 World Cup are being paid a huge amount of money to lead their respective nations to glory.

SalaryLeaks have listed the 11 highest-paid managers at this summer’s tournament, with England boss Thomas Tuchel featuring.

Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni Earns More Than Spain’s Luis de la Fuente

Euro 2024 winners Spain are the favourites to win this summer’s tournament. They boast an incredibly strong squad, with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pedri featuring. Surprisingly, despite his success as manager of La Roja, Luis de la Fuente doesn’t even make the top 10 highest-paid managers at the World Cup.

Three managers earn £2.61 million per-year: Netherlands’ Ronald Koeman, Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa and Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni. The latter is bidding to become just the second manager to win two World Cup titles.

Didier Deschamps will depart as France manager following this summer’s tournament. The 57-year-old, who is earning an annual salary of £3.31 million, will be hoping he can bow out with his second World Cup trophy.

Portugal are yet to win the World Cup. Roberto Martinez is the man who they have trusted to break their duck. He earns £3.5 million-per-year.

Only Brazil’s Carlo Ancelotti Earns More Than England’s Thomas Tuchel

Surprisingly, Uzbekistan’s manager, Fabio Cannavaro, is the fifth highest-paid manager at this summer’s tournament. Cannavaro has justified his £3.5 million annual salary given he has led the nation to the World Cup for the first time. They have been placed in Group K alongside Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo.

Four-time World Cup winners Germany are led by Julian Nagelsmann. The 38-year-old, appointed in 2023, earns £4.2 million per-year.

The United States turned heads when they appointed former Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino in 2024.

The Argentine, who has won 14 of his 25 matches as the United States boss at the time of writing, is the third-highest-paid manager at the World Cup, earning £4.53 million-per-year.

England’s decision to appoint Thomas Tuchel didn’t go down well with some. He initially signed an -18-month deal which expired after the World Cup, but, after early success as Three Lions manager, he penned a two-year extension at the beginning of 2026. He is earning just over £5 million-per-year.

Carlo Ancelotti is comfortably the highest-paid international manager in the world. Brazil gave Ancelotti, considered one of the greatest managers in football history, an £8.28 million-per-year deal in 2025.

Can the Italian justify his salary and end Seleção’s 22-year World Cup trophy drought? Time will tell.