Seven Haitian players from Jamaican club Mount Pleasant FA have been denied visas to enter the United States ahead of their CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against LA Galaxy.
According to reports by BBC Sport, the visa issues have left Mount Pleasant significantly weakened ahead of their match scheduled to take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in California on Wednesday.
The Jamaican side, which won the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup in 2025, will now have to rely on several academy players to fill gaps in their squad.
Mount Pleasant’s Sporting Director, Paul Christie, expressed disappointment over the situation.
“We don’t want to just show up for the game, we want to be able to compete, but we are not being allowed to be at our best,” Christie told the Jamaica Observer.
Travel ban implications
The affected players include seven nationals of Haiti, whose citizens are currently affected by a partial United States travel ban introduced in June 2025.
Although exemptions exist for major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup, it remains unclear whether the Champions Cup falls under those provisions.
The situation has also raised concerns ahead of Haiti’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Haiti have been drawn in a group with Morocco national football team, Scotland national football team, and Brazil national football team.
While the US government has indicated that athletes, coaches, and essential support staff may receive exemptions for global tournaments, the visa restrictions continue to affect club competitions and traveling supporters.
Officials from CONCACAF and Mount Pleasant are yet to provide further clarification as the team awaits a final decision regarding the affected players.
