March 11 – Ten players from Jamaican club Mount Pleasant have been denied a visa to enter the United States for their Concacaf Champions Cup match against Los Angeles Galaxy tonight (Wednesday).
Mount Pleasant, winners of the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, will play in the last 16 of the Champions Cup against the LA franchise in California, but they have been forced to call up several academy players after ten players were denied a US visa.
Mount Pleasant’s squad includes seven players from the Caribbean island nation of Haiti – which falls under US president Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban. Exemptions are however in place for the upcoming World Cup, which the United States will co-host with neighbours Canada and Mexico.
In a statement, Concacaf said it was providing support to Mount Pleasant and confirmed that the tie will go ahead: “In accordance with the competition regulations, each participating club may register a roster of up to 35 players and is responsible for submitting visa applications within the timeframe required by the diplomatic missions of the countries to be visited.”
“Considering the competition regulations, and that the club had ample time to complete the visa application process following the competition’s official draw in December 2025, the series will proceed as scheduled.”
It’s not the first time that participants in a Concacaf competition have encountered problems to enter the United States. In 2021, Cuba had to withdraw from the Gold Cup due to US visa issues. The following year, Haitian club Cavaly AS had to pull out from the Concacaf Champions League after they couldn’t obtain a US visa to travel and face the New England Revolution. In 2023, Haiti’s Violette AC also ran into trouble but eventually managed to field a side against Austin FC in the Champions League.
The visa complications once again highlight how immigration could lead to problems at the World Cup. For the first time since 1974, Haiti have qualified for the finals. Supporters residing in Haiti have not been exempted from Trump’s travel ban.
In January, the US State Department said a Fifa Pass appointment, which allows Fifa World Cup 2026 ticket holders to access prioritised visa interview appointments in the United States, does not allow people “who are otherwise not eligible” to be issued a visa. The United States will host all three of Haiti’s matches and the lion share’s of the tournament’s 104 games.
At a news conference, Mount Pleasant manager Theodore Whitman seemed to move on from the visa denials.
“It’s an important issue. As a coach you would want your whole team to select from. Nonetheless, we have players who are eager to go out there and put all the negatives behind us and look forward,” he said.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1773234170labto1773234170ofdlr1773234170owedi1773234170sni@i1773234170tnuk.1773234170ardni1773234170mas1773234170
Source link
Add Comment