June is coming. The US is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which means crowds, chaos, and millions of international fans landing at US airports. They’ll need signal. Not just for selfis, but for maps, rideshares, and screaming into the void when their team scores.
The big three US carriers have dropped temporary eSIM plans for these visitors. No physical plastic required. Just download a digital profile and you’re live. Prices range from dirt cheap to reasonable. They’re also usually cheaper than whatever your home carrier charges for international roaming, which is usually a scam anyway.
Have family flying in? Tell them to look here. Coverage maps matter more than price. A $4 plan is useless if it dies in the stadium parking lot. Check the maps for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. If you’re the one traveling abroad instead? There are other guides for that, but let’s focus on the visitors first.
AT&T: Data Only, But Fast
AT&T is keeping it simple. Maybe too simple.
Their eSIM pass is strictly data. You don’t get a phone number. No calls. No standard SMS texting. If your friend wants to use WhatsApp, iMessage, or Telegram, they’re fine. If they try to dial +1 (555) 123-4567, nothing happens. AT&T says unlimited talk and text might come later, but they’re not promising a date yet.
Here’s the math, though:
- 1 Day: $4 (US only)
- 7 Days: $16 (US) / $25 (with Canada and Mexico)
- 15 Days: $26 (US) / $40 (with Canada and Mexico)
- 30 Days: $41 (US) / $60 (with Canada and Mexico
You get unlimited high-speed data for up to 30 days. Plus 5GB of hotspot tethering if you need to feed your laptop. Taxes aren’t included, so round up your mental budget.
To make it work, the user needs an unlocked 5G phone. They have to download the “Connect on Demand by AT&T” app, which handles the activation. There’s an upsell option too. Turbo Live improves connection speeds in crowded places like stadiums. It costs extra, but hey, good luck getting a clear signal at kickoff anyway.
T-Mobile: The Heavy Lifter
T-Mobile throws more meat at the bone. You get unlimited talk and texting within the US, Canada, and Mexico. That’s a big difference from AT&T. You actually have a number that works for phone calls.
Data-wise, they give you 50GB of fast 5G data. After that burns through? Unlimited data remains, but it throttles to a slower speed. For hotspot usage, they cap it hard depending on the duration you buy:
- 7 Days: $25 (includes 14GB hotspot)
- 10 Days: $30 (includes 20GB hotspot)
- 14 Days: $35 (includes 28GB hotspot)
- 30 Days: $50 (includes 50GB hotspot
They also throw in 5GB of high-speed international data for Canada and Mexico roaming. Activation happens in their dedicated prepaid eSIM app. Taxes apply on top of the listed price. It’s a bit pricier than the entry-level AT&T option, but the inclusion of voice and text makes it easier for casual tourists who still rely on old-school phone habits.
Visible: Verizon’s Discount Brand
Verizon owns Visible. It’s their budget subsidiary. They just launched a specific “Travel Pass” for the tournament, banking hard on World Cup traffic.
This plan uses Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband, which tends to have decent capacity even in packed cities. There’s one major catch: zero hotspot data. None. You cannot tether this phone to your iPad. It’s strictly for the device it’s installed on.
However, the prices are aggressive, especially if you preorder before June 10 using the code FIFA10. The discounts save $10 off each tier:
- 7 Days: $15 (preorder) vs $25. Includes 90 mins international talk.
- 14 Days: $25 (preorder) vs $35. Includes 180 mins international talk.
- 30 Days: $35 (preorder) vs $45. Includes 300 mins international talk.
- 45 Days: $45 (preorder) vs $55. Includes 500 mins international talk
You also get unlimited texting to over 200 countries. And unlike AT&T or T-Mobile, Visible includes taxes in the headline price. When roaming in Alaska, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or across the border into Canada and Mexico, the plan shifts. You still get unlimited talk and text there, plus a generous 2GB of data every single day.
Which one is right? Depends on what you need. Call home? Skip AT&T. Need a laptop connected? Skip Visible. Just want the cheapest data possible and rely entirely on WhatsApp? AT&T wins.
Or maybe the networks will all collapse on match day. Happens.
