Swiss player blocked from travelling to USA for FIFA World Cup due to visa issues

European nation Switzerland has released an official statement after one of its star players, Breel Embolo, was denied permission to fly to the United States less than 10 days before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Donald Trump government’s new rules and regulations regarding player entry and visas have been a highly debated topic in recent months, with the new rules making it tough for players to enter.

The USA, Canada, and Mexico are co-hosting a tournament that is projected to attract the largest audience of any sporting event in history. However, the reality is that several complications still remain. With the USA government issuing a travel ban on 39 countries, the geopolitical nature of the World Cup has become tougher.

According to a report by The Sun, Swiss player Breel Embolo’s ESTA travel authorization was held under review this week. The hold dates back to a court ruling over a 2018 altercation he had. Embolo was convicted in 2023 of making multiple threats and was even handed a suspended fine.

“Unfortunately, Breel Embolo is currently unable to travel to the United States with the team. His ESTA authorisation had been approved until this morning. However, at 10.30am, we were informed that his ESTA application had been placed under further review. We are currently in contact with the relevant authorities and expect that Breel will either join the team later today or travel tomorrow and join the squad then,” the Swiss FA shared in their latest statement.

Interestingly, Embolo was allowed to travel to the USA to play for Switzerland against the USMNT and Mexico last year in Jun. 2025.

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