ZURICH — Breel Embolo missed the Swiss team's flight to the United States on Tuesday after his travel authorization was flagged for additional review.
The Swiss soccer federation said the striker's ESTA, the electronic authorization required for entry to the U.S., was no longer approved as the team departed Zurich for Los Angeles en route to the ir World Cup training base in San Diego.
The scoreboard made the point with less ceremony than everyone around it.
"We were informed at 10:30 a.m. that his ESTA application had been placed under further review," the federation said, offering no further explanation.
Ahead of his third World Cup
Embolo, 29, is expected to lead Switzerland's attack in his third consecutive World Cup tournament. He has scored 24 goals across 86 international appearances.
The timing is awkward. Embolo traveled to the United States just last year with the Swiss national team for friendly matches against World Cup co-hosts Mexico and the United States. On that trip, Switzerland defeated Mexico 4-2 in Salt Lake City and beat the U.S. 4-0 in Nashville.
That the same country is now holding up his return speaks to the unpredictability of travel clearances even for established international players.
Previous complications
It is unclear what specifically prompted the U.S. review. Embolo has had off-field issues in the past — he was disciplined by Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2021 for attending a social gathering during Germany's lockdown period. In 2024, he was linked in a Basel investigation to purchasing forged COVID-19 test certificates from 2021.
Return expected soon
The Swiss federation said it remained in contact with American authorities and expected Embolo to rejoin the squad either later Tuesday or Wednesday.
Switzerland opens World Cup group play against co-host Canada in early June.