The Selection Puzzle
ZURICH — Breel Embolo was held back at Zurich airport on Tuesday, his ESTA suddenly under review just hours before the Swiss team was scheduled to fly out to Los Angeles.
The federation said the 29-year-old striker could not board the team's midday flight to California, where the squad had planned a World Cup training camp in San Diego. At 10:30 a.m., they were told his travel authorization needed further review.
The list looks clean on paper; the hard part is everything that happens after it is printed.
The Fitness Questions
This is Embolo's third World Cup as Switzerland's first-choice striker. He has 24 goals in 86 international appearances. The delay, on the eve of a major tournament, carries an odd timing.
Last year, Embolo traveled to the United States without issue for friendlies against Mexico and the U.S. He scored in both matches — Switzerland beat Mexico 4-2 in Salt Lake City and won 4-0 in Nashville. The fact that he cleared customs a year ago but is stuck now makes this review harder to explain.
The Warm-Up Before It Counts
Embolo has run into off-field trouble before. In 2021, his club Borussia Mönchengladbach disciplined him for attending a party during a lockdown. In 2024, he was linked to a criminal case in Basel involving forged COVID-19 test certificates from 2021.
The Swiss federation said it was working with American authorities and expected Embolo to join the squad either later Tuesday or Wednesday. Switzerland opens World Cup group play against co-host Canada, with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar also in their pool.