A football fan has spoken out after having his US visa revoked just an hour before his flight to the World Cup was due to take off. This week, issues around entry to the host nation have become a hot topic, with concerns spreading like wildfire, despite Gianni Infantino’s insistence just a handful of months ago that “everyone will be welcomed to the USA” – a sentiment later echoed by Donald Trump.

Switzerland striker Breel Embolo was among the first to run into difficulties with border control, being turned away at the start of June while his teammates travelled without him. Meanwhile, Iran’s head coach was briefly held by border authorities, while Somalian referee Omar Artan was denied entry outright and sent back to Africa, before he had the cance to become the first official from his country to referee at a World Cup, amid fears over alleged links to a terrorist organisation.

But while these are the high-profile cases linked to the host nation’s strict tourism policies, there are many more going under the radar – including ordinary football fans who have spent thousands in the hope of seeing their country play on the world stage.

Scotland Fan Has US Visa Revoked an Hour Before Flight

Michael Wright had been due to head off to the States for a dream 30th birthday trip with his brother and had tickets for Scotland’s group stage games against Haiti and Morocco. But he ended up having to send his brother through the security gates at Manchester Airport on his own when his visa status switched from “approved” to “pending” and finally to “travel not authorised”.

The Tartan Army member, who is from Greenock but now lives in Australia, said: “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that bad. I sent my brother through security because I still wanted him to go and enjoy his holiday. And I didn’t want him to see me ready to break down.” Michael told the BBC he could think of “no valid reason” for the change in his visa status and the US authorities had not given him one.

UK Visa Restrictions for USA Entry

Andrew Couldridge via Reuters

UK citizens who want to go to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa need to apply to the country’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). But dozens of fans who filled out the form have said on social media that their application status had changed in the days leading up to the World Cup kicking off on Thursday evening with Mexico vs South Africa.

Some supporters have now been told to make last-minute trips to the US Consulate in Belfast to secure approval of their visas. First Minister John Swinney said he had contacted US officials over the issue and would do “all I can to help” those affected. He said: “I have asked officials to convey our hope that they can resolve this so that Scotland’s fans do not miss out.”

Acting assistant secretary of US Homeland Security, Lauren Bis, previously told the BBC that the tightening of granting ESTAs was because “the Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws. Under the Visa Waiver Program, all ESTA applications are continuously vetted against law enforcement and security databases,” she said. “Travellers must provide complete and truthful information, including all criminal history.”

Michael Wright said the late U-turn had left him feeling “very raw” – as well as thousands of pounds out of pocket. He said: “You’re talking about £4,500 to £5,000 and the only thing I’m ever going to get the money back on is the match tickets. But at this point, I don’t even want to take the money back on them – I’ll probably just give them away.”

Leeds United are set to be active in the summer transfer window, and have lined up a record-breaking move for one star, according to recent reports.

Daniel Farke‘s side enjoyed a successful season last time out, recovering from a rocky start to secure Premier League survival with relative ease in the end.

The Elland Road faithful will be hoping that relegation won’t even be a factor next season, with a strong summer transfer window that could add even more quality and depth to the team.

Several key areas appear to be in focus, but it’s the defence that Leeds appear to be working hardest at recruiting for this summer, as an offer is already being lined up for a target.

Leeds Prepare Ousmane Diomande Offer

With such a busy summer ahead, reports from the print edition of Portuguese outlet A Bola, via Sport Witness, backup claims that Ousmane Diomande is a transfer target for Leeds,

It’s stated that the Whites are willing to go to the “extremes” to get a deal over the line, while proposing an offer that would smash their record fee for a signing.

That currently sits at roughly £36 million, which was paid to sign Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim back in January 2023, a move that had mixed reviews come the end.

An offer worth €50 million (£43.1 million) could be on offer from Leeds to Sporting CP to get a deal over the line, with that figure including eventual bonuses reached.

It’s a rough figure that the Portuguese side are willing to start negotiations on, though it remains to be seen whether the structure of the deal needs to be changed to reach an eventual agreement.

Any move could prove tough, especially as Diomande is away on international duty with the Ivory Coast for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, but Leeds seem open to trying for a deal.

Leeds Centre-Back Contract Dilemma

The arrival of Diomande could bring Leeds some quality in the backline, with the centre-back being described as “phenomenal” in his career so far.

While that comes with experience and even some room to grow for the 22-year-old, his signing will bring some questions surrounding the other centre-backs at Elland Road.

Particularly when it comes to the contract situations of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon in particular. The former has just one year remaining on his current deal, while the latter has two left on his.

The pair have been incredibly important for the Whites under Farke in recent seasons, but the arrival of Diomande could shake that up once again.

That may make them reconsider their positions with contracts, with a dilemma over whether the club should offer them better terms or not in the coming months.