Swiss Striker Breel Embolo Cleared to Travel After Visa Delay Ahead of World Cup

Swiss striker Breel Embolo has been cleared to travel to the United States after receiving his visa on Thursday, ending a two-day delay that had prevented him from joining the national team ahead of the World Cup.

The Swiss Football Association (SFA) confirmed that Embolo’s visa was approved in the evening and that the player is expected to arrive in San Diego on Friday, where Switzerland is currently preparing for the tournament.

The striker had initially been stopped from boarding the team’s flight from Zurich to Los Angeles earlier in the week after his travel authorization (ESTA) was temporarily blocked by US authorities. Officials reportedly carried out additional checks related to a past legal case involving Embolo, which required clarification before entry approval.

To resolve the issue, the 29-year-old forward submitted an emergency visa application at the US Embassy in Bern. According to the SFA, the request was treated as a priority and processed quickly, allowing him to rejoin the squad without further delay.

Embolo’s visa issue was linked to a previous legal case from 2018 in Basel, which resulted in a conviction that was later upheld on appeal and finalized earlier this year. Authorities reportedly sought confirmation that the incident did not involve violence before granting travel clearance.

The Switzerland squad, based in San Diego, is scheduled to play a warm-up match against Australia on Saturday before beginning its World Cup campaign against Qatar on June 13 in Santa Clara, California. Group B also includes Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With Embolo now cleared, Switzerland expects to have a full-strength squad available for its final preparations ahead of the tournament.