Breel Embolo Joins Switzerland's World Cup Squad After Visa Clearance

Breel Embolo will finally join up with Switzerland’s World Cup squad in the United States after securing the visa clearance that had stalled his departure and unsettled their build-up.

The Swiss football federation confirmed on Thursday that the 29-year-old striker is now expected to land in San Diego on Friday evening, ending several days of uncertainty over one of Murat Yakin’s key attacking options.

Embolo had been left behind in Switzerland on Tuesday when his ESTA travel authorisation was suddenly placed under further review shortly before the team flew out to their pre-tournament base in California. While his team-mates settled into camp on the West Coast, he stayed home and waited.

The wait is over.

The federation announced that the issue had been resolved and that the forward had been granted permission to travel to the U.S. “We have just been informed that Breel Embolo’s visa has been approved. He will therefore be able to travel to the United States. He is expected to join the team on Friday evening,” read its statement.

The delay traced back to extra checks requested by American authorities. On Wednesday, Embolo attended an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Bern, where officials examined documents tied to a legal case stemming from a 2018 altercation in Basel.

U.S. officials also asked for court records related to a 2023 conviction for making multiple threats, a case that resulted in a suspended fine and became legally binding earlier this year, according to the Swiss federation.

Although those matters had already run their course through the Swiss legal system, they triggered additional scrutiny under U.S. entry rules before the visa was finally granted.

For Switzerland, the paperwork drama now gives way to a more familiar tension: how quickly they can reintegrate a central striker into a squad already deep into its World Cup preparations.