Joan Capdevila, a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, has been denied entry to the United States just days before Sunday's final between Spain and Argentina – and is now publicly pleading for Donald Trump's help.
The former full-back posted on social media: 'I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump. They just told me that I can't travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied. Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my teammates from 2010 and this team to cheer them on. I can’t believe they won’t let me enter the U.S. ... and that I’ll miss a moment like this with my kids, who love soccer so much... If anyone knows how to fix this, I’ll be eternally grateful.' He also tagged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a separate post.
“Spain World Cup winner Joan Capdevila denied US visa, pleads for Donald Trump's help on eve of final.”
Capdevila later told Spanish radio station COPE that the rejection was due to a match he played in Iran a decade ago. In 2016, a team of La Liga legends faced an all-star side in Tehran – a fixture that appears to have counted against him under US travel rules.
The visa crisis has added a personal sting to an already highly anticipated final. Argentina, the holders and South American champions, face Spain, the European champions, at a tournament largely hosted in the US. The numbers show a contrast in styles: Argentina have scored a tournament-high 19 goals, thanks to clinical finishing, while Spain have conceded just once – in their 2-1 quarter-final victory against Belgium – and boast the lowest defensive expected goals (xG) in the competition (2.1). Lionel Messi is playing in his third World Cup final, while Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is in his first.
Meanwhile, wildfire smoke has been causing chaos in New York, with weather advisories issued. The final is scheduled to be played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just across the river from the affected areas. It remains to be seen whether air quality could disrupt the match, though no official delays have been announced.
Capdevila, who started and won the 2010 final against the Netherlands, had hoped to join his former teammates to cheer on a Spanish side that has followed a similar path – winning the Euros two years before reaching a World Cup final. Now, he faces missing that moment with his children.