Ten players from Jamaican club Mount Pleasant Football Academy have been denied visas to enter the United States ahead of their CONCACAF Champions Cup match against the LA Galaxy.
The Jamaican side, winners of the 2025 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, are scheduled to face the Major League Soccer club on Wednesday at Dignity Health Sports Park in California.
However, the visa denials have forced the team to call up several academy players to fill the gaps in their squad.
Mount Pleasant’s sporting director, Paul Christie, said the situation has significantly affected the team’s preparations for their debut in the regional tournament.
“We don’t want to just show up for the game; we want to compete,” Christie told the Jamaica Observer.
“But we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best.”
Reports indicate that Mount Pleasant’s squad includes seven players from Haiti, whose nationals have faced travel restrictions following a partial ban introduced by Donald Trump, President of the United States, in June 2025.
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Although exemptions exist for global sporting competitions such as the FIFA World Cup 2026, it remains unclear whether the same provisions apply to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which features clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The visa issue has also raised concerns about participation at the upcoming World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Haiti has already qualified for the tournament and has been drawn in a group alongside Morocco, Scotland, and Brazil.
While US authorities have indicated that athletes and team officials will receive exemptions to travel restrictions for the tournament, similar assurances have not been extended to fans or spectators.
According to guidance from the US State Department, only athletes, coaches, essential team staff, and immediate relatives may qualify for special visa exceptions.
The United States will host the majority of matches during the 2026 World Cup, including the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
