Embolo stranded in Switzerland as Esta dispute delays World Cup travel to US

Breel Embolo remains in Switzerland after a last-minute Esta complication blocked the Stade Rennais striker from boarding his team’s flight to Los Angeles on Tuesday, forcing him to seek an emergency visa at the US Embassy in Bern on Wednesday.

The Swiss football federation confirmed Embolo attended an appointment at the embassy to submit a formal visa application, and said US officials had assured them it was being treated as a priority. “The Embassy informed us that the application is being processed as a priority,” the federation said. “Breel and the team are now awaiting approval so that he can travel to San Diego and join the squad as soon as possible.”

The complication stems from a 2018 altercation in Basel that resulted in Embolo’s 2023 conviction for making multiple threats and a suspended fine — a verdict upheld on appeal and made legally binding earlier this year. According to the federation, all Esta applications, including Embolo’s, were initially approved before US authorities requested additional checks approximately two and a half hours before departure. The federation also clarified that US officials had specifically asked whether physical violence was involved in the case, adding: “This was not the case.”

A Swiss team spokesperson noted that Embolo had previously entered the United States without issue in June 2025, when Switzerland played friendlies against Mexico and the United States.

Lauren Bis, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the US Department of Homeland Security, commented on the broader context in a statement to Reuters. “The Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws,” she said, adding that Esta applications are “continuously vetted against law enforcement and security databases” and that failure to disclose criminal history “can lead to Esta denial, revocation, or a permanent bar from entering the United States.”

Switzerland are placed in World Cup Group B alongside co-hosts Canada, Bosnia, and Qatar. Their tournament opens on June 13 in San Francisco against Qatar, leaving the federation and Embolo’s camp racing against the clock to resolve his travel status before the group stage begins.