Embolo Denied Entry to the United States Due to Criminal Record Concerns

According to an earlier report by Swiss media outlet Blick, Switzerland international striker Breel Embolo was denied entry into the United States due to visa-related issues. Today, journalist Toby Writes explained the reasons behind Embolo's travel complications.

According to the report, Embolo was involved in an altercation with several individuals in Basel in 2018. He was subsequently convicted on multiple counts of making threats and was fined more than €100,000. In September last year, the appeals court rejected his appeal and upheld the original verdict. As a result, Embolo now has a criminal record, which has triggered additional scrutiny from U.S. immigration authorities.

Interestingly, Embolo traveled to the United States with the Swiss national team for friendly matches in June last year. At that time, however, his appeal was still pending. Because there was still a possibility that the appeals court could overturn the conviction, his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) was approved. Now that the court ruling has become final, he has run into visa and entry clearance problems.