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Switzerland’s Breel Embolo Barred From Team Flight as U.S. Puts ESTA Under Review

U.S. officials placed a previously approved travel authorisation under administrative review, a move that could signal tighter entry screening for people with past convictions.

Breel Embolo Switzerland
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Soccer Football - World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group B - Switzerland v Slovenia - St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland - September 8, 2025 Switzerland's Breel Embolo celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
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Overview

  • Swiss authorities said that at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday Embolo’s ESTA—previously approved—was placed under further administrative review, preventing him from boarding the team’s flight to the United States.
  • The Swiss Football Association is in direct contact with U.S. authorities and said it expects Embolo may join the squad later the same day or the following day while the review is resolved.
  • Reports link the review to a Swiss court judgment over a 2018 Basel altercation that led to a 2023 conviction and a suspended fine, a ruling that became final after appeals were exhausted.
  • Embolo applied for an urgent visa at the U.S. embassy in Bern on Wednesday as the federation and player await approval, and the squad has traveled to its San Diego training base without him.
  • The case highlights how the ESTA system can be rechecked after approval and raises concern that other players, staff or fans with past convictions could face last‑minute entry problems ahead of the U.S.-hosted World Cup.