Spanish soccer star blocked from entering the US as a request is sent to Donald Trump before the World Cup final
Spain is all set to face Argentina in the World Cup final this Sunday, and fans from both countries are eager to get tickets for the big game. But there’s a twist—one football legend from Spain’s winning 2010 team has hit a roadblock. Joan Capdevila, a key player from that team, has been denied entry to the United States.
La Roja is hoping to add another World Cup trophy to their collection, aiming for their second after winning in 2010. They’ve also won the European Championship four times. On the other side, Argentina, who have won the World Cup three times, want to become just the third team ever to win back-to-back titles, following Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.
Capdevila really wants to watch the final and cheer on Spain as they try to stop Argentina from lifting the trophy for the fourth time. Unfortunately, he says his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which lets visitors enter the U.S. without a visa for 90 days, was denied. Hoping for help, he reached out to Donald Trump on X (formerly Twitter).
Capdevila wrote:
“I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump!
They just told me I can’t travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA was denied.
Can anyone help me? I was so excited to be there with my 2010 teammates and this team to cheer them on. I can’t believe I’m not allowed into the USA… and that I’ll miss this moment with my kids who love soccer so much.
If anyone knows how to fix this, I’ll be grateful forever.”
As a former Villarreal star, Capdevila played every minute of Spain’s 2010 World Cup journey. Coach Vicente del Bosque trusted him at left-back, part of a defense that only let in two goals during the whole tournament—and both were in the group stage. Interestingly, Capdevila was the only starter in the final who wasn’t playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona at the time.
He was known for his hard work on both attack and defense, even ranking among the top ten players for distance covered in the tournament, running over 71 km.