The forward for Switzerland, Breel Embolo, faced a delay in traveling to the United States for the World Cup on Tuesday due to a review of his travel documentation.
The Swiss soccer federation reported, “Unfortunately, Breel Embolo is currently unable to travel to the United States with the team,” noting that his ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) was no longer valid.
The Swiss team was scheduled to depart from Zurich around midday local time on Tuesday, en route to Los Angeles and then onward to a World Cup training camp in San Diego.
This marks the third World Cup where Embolo is expected to be Switzerland’s primary striker, following his impressive tally of 24 goals in 86 international matches.
The Swiss federation stated, “However, at 10:30 a.m., we were informed that his ESTA application had been placed under further review,” without providing further details.
The reasons behind U.S. concerns about the 29-year-old Embolo remain uncertain, particularly considering his prior issues with authorities in Germany and Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, he faced disciplinary action from his then-club Borussia Mönchengladbach for having attended a party during lockdown. Additionally, in 2024, he was linked to a criminal case in Basel concerning the purchase of forged test certificates in 2021.
However, Embolo successfully traveled to the U.S. a year prior with the Swiss national team for friendly matches against Mexico and the U.S., where Switzerland recorded a 4-2 victory against Mexico in Salt Lake City and a 4-0 win against the U.S. in Nashville.
On Tuesday, the Swiss federation indicated they are “in contact with the relevant authorities and expect that Breel will either join the team later today or travel tomorrow to join the squad then.”
Switzerland is considered likely to advance from a World Cup group that includes co-hosts Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Qatar.