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Breel Embolo has hasn’t traveled to the U.S. yet, but his team is saving his seat for him.
Ferdinand Knapp
“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.”
The forward, who plies his trade for French club Stade Rennais, has previously faced legal trouble. A Swiss court convicted him in 2023 of making threats against a person when he was 21 years old. An appeal by the footballer was rejected last September.
He has traveled to the U.S. since that conviction, though, even scoring a goal when when Switzerland beat the U.S. men’s national team 4-0 in June 2025 in Tennessee.
Swiss media reported that the application had initially been approved before the review. Other reports said Embolo, now 29, was seen waiting tensely in the lobby of the team’s airport hotel in Zurich hours before takeoff, signing autographs for fans.
The ESTA issue could leave other players, staff and supporters with criminal histories sweating about their entry to the U.S., which is jointly hosting the men’s iteration of the prestigious tournament with Canada and Mexico.
Iran’s team is already facing logistical challenges around its participation, including visa approval for its players and staff members, and has moved its training base to Mexico despite being scheduled to play all of its matches in the United States.
