Argentina Sends U.S. a List of 13,000 Men Owing Child Support Ahead of the World Cup

Argentina has sent the U.S. government a list of about 13,000 fathers flagged for repeated nonpayment of child support, according to La Nación. The move comes ahead of the World Cup, which will be played jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with 78 of the 104 matches taking place in the U.S.

The practical effect, the report said, is that fans who have fallen behind on child support and hoped to watch Lionel Messi, the reigning world champion with Argentina, may not be able to attend the team’s opening games in Kansas City and Dallas.

Argentina began building a public registry in Buenos Aires in the early 2000s to identify parents who do not meet child support obligations and pressure them to settle their debts. Once someone is entered in the database, they lose certain rights until the debt is cleared, including the ability to renew a driver’s license, bid in public tenders, apply to adopt a child, or request a bank loan from a public institution.

Despite the sanctions, nonpayment remains widespread. Last year, Buenos Aires expanded the penalties to bar child-support debtors from football matches and concerts, and police in the capital now check stadium entrants against the registry. Since March 2025, authorities have carried out 173 checks, identified 150 debtors who were behind on payments, and denied them entry to stadiums and shows. In early 2026 alone, there were 84 operations, which found 75 violators. In May, Argentina’s government issued a formal decree to extend the system nationwide, and other provinces have since created similar databases. The consolidated registry sent to Washington ahead of the World Cup contains about 13,000 men.