Soccer Player Can't Travel to World Cup Because of Visa Problem

A soccer player from Switzerland could not travel to the United States with his team for the World Cup. Breel Embolo was supposed to fly with his teammates on Tuesday. But his travel papers were put under review by U.S. officials. This means he had to stay behind while his team left for the tournament.

The Swiss soccer organization said Embolo's travel permission was working fine until Tuesday morning. At 10:30 in the morning, U.S. officials decided to review his papers again. They did not say why this happened. The team hopes Embolo can join them later this week.

This is not the first time soccer players have had travel problems before the World Cup. South Africa's entire team had to delay their flight on Sunday because of visa issues. They finally left on Monday after working with government officials to fix the problem. South Africa's Sports Minister called it an 'embarrassing' mistake.

The South African team had an emergency meeting on Sunday night to solve their travel problems. They got help from their own government and the U.S. office in South Africa. This team has had other issues during their preparation for the World Cup. One player even played in a game when he was supposed to be suspended.

Switzerland will play in Group B at the World Cup tournament. Their group includes Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Qatar. Their first game will be against Canada in Toronto on June 12th. The team flew to Los Angeles without Embolo but hopes he can meet them soon.

South Africa will also compete in the World Cup for the first time since 2010. They will play in Group A against Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Korea. Their first game is against Mexico on June 11th in Mexico City. Both teams are excited to play in this important soccer tournament despite their travel troubles.