Switzerland’s World Cup preparations suffered a blow on Tuesday as forward Breel Embolo was forced to stay home following a last-minute decision by US authorities to review his travel permit.
The Swiss Football Association said it was told just hours before the team was due to travel that Embolo’s ESTA travel authorization had been put under further scrutiny.
“Unfortunately, Breel Embolo is currently unable to travel to the United States with the team,” the association said in a statement a widely reported statement.
“His ESTA approval had been approved as of this morning. However, at 10:30 am, we were informed that his ESTA application had been placed under further review.”
The forward, who plays for French club Stade Rennais, has faced legal problems in the past. A Swiss court convicted him in 2023 make threats against someone when he was 21 years old. The footballer’s appeal was it was rejected last September.
He has traveled to the United States since his conviction, though, and even scored a goal when Switzerland beat the US men’s national team 4-0 in June 2025 in Tennessee.
Swiss media reported that the application had been previously approved before review. Other reports said Embolo, now 29, was seen waiting anxiously in the lobby of the team’s airport hotel in Zurich a few hours before departure, signing pictures for fans.
The ESTA issue could leave some players, staff and supporters with criminal histories scrambling for entry into the US, which is co-hosting the men’s edition of the prestigious tournament with Canada and Mexico.
The Iranian team is already facing logistical challenges regarding its participation, including visa approval for its players and staff, and has moved its training center to Mexico despite being scheduled to play all of its matches in the United States.
Supporters from a number of countries have also reported difficulty obtaining visas to enter the United States.
The Swiss team will begin its World Cup campaign on June 13 with a game against Qatar in San Francisco. The other two teams in their group are Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Embolo has played 86 matches for his country, scoring 24 goals.
The team’s Instagram account posted a photo of the players on the plane on Tuesday with the caption: “One empty seat, but not for long😉See you soon. @breelembolo97 ✈️.”
The US Department of Homeland Security, the US State Department and the Swiss Soccer Federation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Joe Stanley-Smith and Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed to this report.
