Swiss striker Breel Embolo received a visa on Thursday and will go to the World Cup, after a two-day delay in clearance for his trip to the United States.
“We have just learned that Breel Embolo’s visa has been approved,” the Swiss Football Association said in a statement on the case involving a criminal conviction for a 2018 incident.
“He will therefore be able to travel to the United States tomorrow, Friday,” the federation said. “He is expected to join the team on Friday evening (local US time).”
The Swiss team from San Diego will play a warm-up match against Australia on Saturday and start the World Cup program against Qatar in Santa Clara a week later.
Embolo was denied boarding the team’s flight from Zurich to Los Angeles on Tuesday as his permission to travel was blocked by US authorities seeking to verify the incident was non-violent.
He was prosecuted after a verbal altercation in Basel city center. After an appeal, the verdict only became final in April.
The 29-year-old Embolo goes to his third World Cup as Switzerland’s first-choice striker.
Switzerland is favored in Group B, which includes playing Bosnia-Herzegovina in Inglewood, California and then co-hosting the Canada tournament in Vancouver on June 24.
Published on June 5, 2026
