{"id":1353,"date":"2026-07-01T13:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T13:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1353"},"modified":"2026-07-01T13:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T13:41:07","slug":"as-the-world-cup-grows-more-global-many-fans-still-struggle-to-get-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1353","title":{"rendered":"As the World Cup grows more global, many fans still struggle to get there"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>MOSUL, Iraq (AP) \u2014 For years, Mustafa al Saadi and three hospital coworkers traveled abroad together, following Iraq\u2019s national soccer team.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1343\">Ship runs aground in Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state TV reports<\/a><\/p><p>When <span>Iraq qualified for its first World Cup<\/span> since 1986 \u2014 the first in the lifetime of the 32-year-old laboratory technician in Mosul General Hospital\u2019s oncology department \u2014 they planned another trip.<\/p><p>Only three of the friends boarded the plane. Al Saadi\u2019s visa application was still pending as he walked to Mosul\u2019s al Muthanna neighborhood to watch <span>Iraq\u2019s match against France,<\/span> while his friends entered the stadium in Philadelphia nearly 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers) away.<\/p><p>\u201cIt is a very sad feeling to see your close friends present with the national team in every country in the world, but I am not,\u201d al Saadi said, red flares lighting the night sky near the <span>remnants of ancient Nineveh\u2019s<\/span> fortification wall. He tried to reach his friends during the match, but the calls never connected.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For decades, FIFA has worked to <span>make the World Cup more global.<\/span> The 2026 tournament reflected that effort more clearly than ever, with the debuts of Cape Verde, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cura\u00e7ao. Yet qualifying for the tournament did not guarantee supporters, journalists, referees or even some tournament personnel could enter the co-host countries, where immigration policies remained the responsibility of national governments.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters from about a quarter of qualifying nations faced travel bans, heightened entry restrictions or high U.S. visa refusal rates. The inequalities that shaped who could travel were visible in the stands. <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<!-- AP \"Read More\" embed (place mid-article) -->\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>At their match outside Boston, <span>Haiti and Scotland returned<\/span> to the World Cup stage for the first time in decades. Tens of thousands of kilted Scottish supporters marched through the streets in processions led by bagpipers. Fans screaming \u201cFlower of Scotland\u201d reportedly reached 125 decibels \u2014 about as loud as a jet taking off nearby. By contrast, the national anthem of Haiti, whose citizens are <span>subject to U.S. travel restrictions<\/span> under the Trump administration, rose from a much smaller pocket of supporters waving red-and-blue flags.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<iframe class=\"ap-embed\" frameborder=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/interactives.ap.org\/world-cup-2026-tracker\/?key=ap-06B3SLMAUK\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For those who couldn\u2019t make the journey, the tournament unfolded instead in hometown fan zones and diaspora communities.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In Mosul, hundreds gathered beneath giant screens to watch Iraq\u2019s first World Cup match in four decades. In Brockton, Massachusetts \u2014 home to one of the largest Cape Verdean communities outside the islands \u2014 supporters packed restaurants for the match against Spain before spilling into the streets, where fireworks erupted overhead as people leaned out of cars waving flags. At a university in Dakar, Senegalese supporters climbed balconies and window ledges to watch the team\u2019s match against France. <\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-jw-player>\n<\/bsp-jw-player>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Iraqi soccer fans expressed their shock and disappointment after watching their team suffer its third heavy defeat in the World Cup after a 10-man Iraqi side was eliminated without a point in its first World Cup appearance since 1986 following their 5-0 defeat by Senegal in its final group stage match in Canada on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><h2>Barriers beyond the field<\/h2><p>Before the tournament began, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights <span>Volker T\u00fcrk warned<\/span> U.S. immigration policies could undermine access to the World Cup, calling for \u201ca massive rethink\u201d of enforcement to protect \u201chuman rights and human dignity.\u201d<\/p><p>As part of the Trump administration\u2019s broader immigration crackdown, the U.S. last year began requiring some visitors from 50 countries to post visa bonds of up to $15,000. After FIFA requested an exemption, the administration waived that requirement for qualified World Cup ticket holders <span>from five participating countries<\/span> \u2014 Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia. Supporters still had to complete the standard visa process.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Previous World Cups relied on tournament-specific entry systems that eased travel for many international supporters. Unlike Russia and Qatar, the North American co-hosts generally relied on their existing immigration systems rather than creating tournament-specific entry permits for supporters. Canada required many supporters to apply through its standard visitor visa process, while Mexico continued using its existing visa policies.<\/p><p>Ghanaian journalist Prince Ayim Brown saved money, took extra assignments and even attended a U.S. Embassy training for reporters preparing to cover the tournament. His visa application was ultimately denied by the same embassy without explanation.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWorld Cup is the pinnacle of football \u2014 every journalist and every football fan wants to be there,\u201d he said.<\/p><p>A State Department spokesperson said the final list of qualified teams had been known for months, giving supporters who required visas time to apply. The department said it deployed more than 600 additional consular staff, made millions of additional visa appointments available and used the FIFA PASS program to <span>prioritize World Cup-related applications<\/span> while maintaining the same security standards.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1341\">Spotless uniforms, stalled cranes: Inside Venezuela\u2019s faltering quake rescue effort<\/a><\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Iraqi soccer fans react as they watch the World Cup match between Iraq and Norway on a large screen in downtown Baghdad, Iraq, early Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Anmar Khalil)\" class=\"wp-image-1349\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/b8e63e952f32c4f659540cc5b7373326-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/b8e63e952f32c4f659540cc5b7373326-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/b8e63e952f32c4f659540cc5b7373326-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/b8e63e952f32c4f659540cc5b7373326.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Unable to obtain a U.S. visa this year, Dakar salesman Assane Ly watched Senegal\u2019s opener from a fan zone at Cheikh Anta Diop University, where hundreds packed balconies and ledges overlooking a giant screen. He misses the chance to build bonds with fans of other teams in the melting pot of the tournament.<\/p><p>\u201cThe World Cup is supposed to be a moment when geopolitics are on hold, when the host country welcomes people from all nationalities, skin colors and religions to come together to celebrate football,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Another island of Cape Verde<\/h2><p>For diaspora communities that spent decades cheering for other countries, the tournament also offered something new: the chance to finally cheer for their own.<\/p><p>When Cape Verde held Spain to a scoreless draw, Jaysen Gon\u00e7alves was there. A veteran of the previous two World Cups, he bought tickets as soon as Cape Verde qualified. Inside the stadium, however, he estimated Spain supporters outnumbered Cape Verde fans roughly 9-to-1.<\/p><p>\u201cIt shows,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is financial.\u201d<\/p><p><span>Back in Brockton,<\/span> where Gon\u00e7alves owns Luanda Restaurant with his mother Amelia, the celebration unfolded very differently.<\/p><p>For more than two decades, World Cup watch parties there had filled with Portugal and Brazil jerseys \u2014 reflecting Cape Verde\u2019s historical, linguistic and family ties.<\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cape Verde supporters celebrate as they watch the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde at a restaurant at a Cape Verde community in Brockton, Mass. near Boston, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner)\" class=\"wp-image-1350\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c99f0fff8cd2ba2ac5993e18b66fd566-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c99f0fff8cd2ba2ac5993e18b66fd566-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c99f0fff8cd2ba2ac5993e18b66fd566-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/c99f0fff8cd2ba2ac5993e18b66fd566.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"An elderly woman is cheering for Cape Verde during a viewing of the World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Cape Verde at a restaurant at a Cape Verde community in Brockton, Mass. near Boston, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner)\" class=\"wp-image-1351\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/53ae2712b2ec4b8fbaba342d4fcce9ef-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/53ae2712b2ec4b8fbaba342d4fcce9ef-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/53ae2712b2ec4b8fbaba342d4fcce9ef-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/53ae2712b2ec4b8fbaba342d4fcce9ef.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>\u201cThis year,\u201d Amelia Gon\u00e7alves said, \u201cit\u2019s all Cape Verde.\u201d Children drifted between tables while customers balanced laptops beside plates of cachupa, Cape Verde\u2019s national stew. When Cape Verde held Spain scoreless, sparkling wine appeared.<\/p><p>\u201cIt was like we won the World Cup,\u201d Gon\u00e7alves said. <\/p><p>Watching <span>goalkeeper Vozinha make seven saves<\/span> against Spain left her too emotional to sleep.<\/p><p>\u201cThat means he gives us a lot of visibility to the world,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople can see us now. \u2018Yes, there is a country \u2014 an island \u2014 called Cape Verde.\u2019\u201d<\/p><h2>\u2018Now Mosul is a global city\u2019<\/h2><p>Al Saadi\u2019s stalled visa application changed what he imagined his World Cup would be. Two friends who received visas had traveled to the U.S. before \u2014 one even has family there. Al Saadi said he was still waiting for a response, with no explanation for why his application \u2014 submitted a month before the World Cup \u2014 remained pending. <\/p><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<bsp-figure>\n<template>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Soccer fans watch the World Cup Group I match between Senegal and Iraq at an outdoor cafe in downtown Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Adil al-Khazali)\" class=\"wp-image-1352\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bb34f83889fc6d2734ff98c6937ad348-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bb34f83889fc6d2734ff98c6937ad348-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bb34f83889fc6d2734ff98c6937ad348-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bb34f83889fc6d2734ff98c6937ad348.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<div><\/div><div>\n<bsp-page-actions>\n<div>\n<!--            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=ap%20news\">-->\n<!--            <\/a>-->\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n                    Share\n                    <svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-copy-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-copy-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<bsp-print-link>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-print-link>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg><\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>\n<svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-page-actions>\n<\/div>\n<\/bsp-carousel-read-more>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/template>\n<\/bsp-figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>The visa process can require paperwork, fees and in-person interviews. Even getting to that stage had become complicated after the <span>U.S. suspended routine consular services in Iraq,<\/span> forcing applicants to seek appointments elsewhere.<\/p><p>Instead of joining his friends in Philadelphia, he helped local organizers create the fan zone in al Muthanna. There, a man in Iraq\u2019s white jersey strode through the crowd on stilts. Teenage boys danced with Iraqi flags draped across their shoulders as spotlights swept over the square and music echoed between buildings.<\/p><p>\u201cBy having this event, we brought the World Cup from America, Mexico and Canada to the city of Mosul,\u201d he said. \u201cNow Mosul is a global city.\u201d<\/p><p>___<\/p><p>Willingham reported from Boston, Salim from Irbil, Iraq, and Banchereau from Dakar, Senegal. AP journalists Ope Adetayo in Lagos, Nigeria, and Edward Acquah in Accra, Ghana, contributed reporting.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1339\">Defying Pope Leo XIV and risking schism, traditionalists go ahead with Latin Mass consecrations<\/a><\/p><p>___<\/p><p><span>See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FIFA has spent decades expanding the World Cup to include more countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. But for many supporters from those same nations, reaching the tournament proved far more difficult than qualifying for it. From Iraq to Senegal to Cape Verde, fans who faced visa hurdles, travel restrictions or high costs recreated the World Cup in hometown squares, restaurants and fan zones instead. The result was a tournament that reflected soccer\u2019s growing global reach on the field, while revealing deep inequalities in who could experience it from the stands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1344,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>As the World Cup grows more global, many fans still struggle to get there - Top Moving Pros<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/topmovingpross.com\/?p=1353\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"As the World Cup grows more global, many fans still struggle to get there - Top Moving Pros\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"FIFA has spent decades expanding the World Cup to include more countries from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. But for many supporters from those same nations, reaching the tournament proved far more difficult than qualifying for it. From Iraq to Senegal to Cape Verde, fans who faced visa hurdles, travel restrictions or high costs recreated the World Cup in hometown squares, restaurants and fan zones instead. 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