Connect with us

Sports

Scotland Fan Speaks Out After US Visa is Revoked an Hour Before Flight

Published

on


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.


2025 FIFA president Gianni Infantino holds the World Cup trophy after the draw as former France player and 1998 FIFA World Cup winner Christian Karembeu is seen


Top FIFA Referee ‘Denied Entry’ After Arriving in the US Ahead of 2026 World Cup

Despite having a visa, he was ‘denied entry’ by immigration authorities.

Scotland Fan Has US Visa Revoked an Hour Before Flight

Scotland left-back Andrew Robertson

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.

“In my eyes, there’s no valid reason for them to decline it. I live in what most people would say is the second hardest country in the world to get a visa. I’ve been living there nearly 10 years, reapplying for visas and completing police checks. They (the US authorities) granted it originally so I’m not sure why they’ve decided to look back into it.”

UK Visa Restrictions for USA Entry

England fans 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.”


President Gianni Infantino during the 76th FIFA Congress


World Cup Star Held and Questioned For Nearly 7 ​Hours After Arriving at US Airport

Far from a warm welcome into the host country.

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.”

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Pape Matar Sarr Surely Has No Tottenham Future After De Zerbi Decision

Published

on

By


Tottenham Hotspur are currently undergoing a major summer of change, and it now looks likely that there will be yet another big departure before the transfer window slams shut.

Spurs have made six signings so far, bringing in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali, while Luka Vuskovic, Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin, Will Lankshear, Manor Solomon, and Guglielmo Vicario have all departed the club.

The club are now in advanced talks over a double deal to sign Savinho and Omar Marmoush from Man City to strengthen the attack, while Cody Gakpo is also a target, but it means that there will likely be more departures too, as the club look to balance the books.

One star who has been regularly linked with a move away this summer is midfielder Lucas Bergvall, with Brighton and Nottingham Forest linked, while Newcastle have made him their prime target, despite having an offer rejected earlier in the window.

However, reports have since suggested that De Zerbi is keen to keep the Swede, and has held talks to convince him to at least wait until January to reassess the situation.

“There will be a big competition to play because, at the end, I think we will be two players for each position. If he wants to stay, I will be happy.” – De Zerbi on Bergvall

But with Fernandes, Tonali, Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Conor Gallagher likely making up the manager’s midfield options for the season, it means that Pape Matar Sarr may have already played his final game for the club.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

£50m Sarr Has No Spurs Future

Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro is pushed away by Pape Matar Sarr.

Reports have suggested that Spurs have put a £50m asking price on the Senegal international, and they have received enquiries from Saudi Arabia, Brentford, and Aston Villa about his availability.

Sarr has also been a reliable servant, but with limited game time this season and the transfer business the club has done, he’s way down the pecking order. De Zerbi has clearly made his mind up on the midfield too, with Sarr featuring for just 87 minutes during pre-season – less than every other midfield option in the squad.

De Zerbi’s decision to keep two players for each position means it would be a long way back for him, and it now looks clear that he has already played his final game for the club.

Tottenham Midfielders Pre-Season Minutes

Player

Minutes

Archie Gray

423

Conor Gallagher

342

Sandro Tonali

331

Lucas Bergvall

274

Mateus Fernandes

163

Rodrigo Bentancur

90

Pape Matar Sarr

87

Continue Reading

Sports

Aston Villa Eyeing Chelsea Outcast Tosin to Replace Ezri Konsa

Published

on

By


Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move to sign Chelsea outcast Tosin Adarabioyo as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Ezri Konsa.

The Villans agreed a deal worth £51m plus add-ons with the Premier League champions for their star defender to depart on Wednesday afternoon, with the England international set to undergo a medical on Thursday before departing.

Unai Emery is now desperate to add a replacement to the squad before the transfer deadline on September 1st, and the club are understood to be looking at a number of potential options for the position, which includes Tosin.

Tosin has been a regular at Chelsea since joining from Fulham on a free transfer two summers ago, but looks set to depart Stamford Bridge after being stripped of his squad number and made to train separately from Xabi Alonso’s first-team group.

The Nigerian, who wore number 4 last season, has seen his number given to new signing Valentin Barco and been handed the number 38. Now Villa are exploring whether they can do a deal to bring him to the Midlands.

Chelsea are ready to listen to offers for the 28-year-old, and Villa face competition from European teams such as Marseille, Benfica, and Sevilla for his signature.

Chelsea have had a very busy summer with ten new first-team signings, including central defender Maxence Lacroix, which has pushed Tosin down the pecking order.

But he had featured in every pre-season game under Xabi Alonso prior to the final clash with Real Sociedad, when he was left out of the squad entirely, and had even worn the captain’s armband. Now Villa are looking at potentially bringing him in.

Tosin Premier League Stats 2025/26

Appearances

8(8)

Minutes

791

Tackles (per 90)

1.1

Interceptions (per 90)

0.6

Clearances (per 90)

4.1

Blocks (per 90)

0.3

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

‘Leader’ Tosin Could Fill Konsa Void

tosin adarabioyo

Tosin’s arrival at Stamford Bridge was seen as a coup on a free transfer, but he has struggled to really cement himself as a top-level option on the pitch.

However, his role at the club has extended beyond that, with former manager Enzo Maresca revealing in an interview in September 2024 that he was a ‘leader’ in the dressing room, while it’s also well documented that he is close friends with Cole Palmer.

“Very impressed. I know Tosin since City.

“Very impressed with him, the way he has behaved on and off the pitch. He is one of the leaders in the dressing room. We are very delighted and very happy with him.”

Continue Reading

Sports

WWE Hall of Famer Edge Felt ‘Handcuffed’ in His Final Months With Company

Published

on

By


A much-loved WWE Hall of Famer has opened up on the frustrations they felt before making the decision to part ways with the company.

Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge, has claimed that WWE kept him ‘handcuffed’ during his most recent run.

The current AEW Tag Team Champion, with long-time best friend Christian Cage, Copeland has shed some light on why he made the switch to WWE’s biggest competitor in 2023. The Canadian appeared on the Ariel Helwani Show, where he made some pointed comments about how his final months in WWE.

Copeland first signed with WWE in 1997, making his main roster debut the following year. Across two separate stints, he worked for the company for more than 25 years.

Edge’s WWE Career Explored

In WWE, as Edge, he became one of the most decorated champions in the history of the company, being a seven-time World Champion and also a fourteen-time Tag Team Champion with a whole host of different partners, from Christian to Hulk Hogan. It was thought his career was finished in 2011 when he was forced to retire due to a devastating neck injury. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the following year.

However, at the Royal Rumble in 2020, he shocked the world and returned for another spell with the company.

For the majority of his time with WWE, former CEO Vince McMahon was in charge of overseeing storylines and creative decisions. That changed in July 2022, when Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque took over as WWE’s Chief Content Officer.

Triple H

Within barely a year of Triple H being in charge, Copeland had decided to leave the company, allowing his contract to run down so he could join AEW. He wrestled his final match as Edge when he defeated Sheamus on the August 18th 2023 edition of SmackDown in his hometown of Toronto. He would debut in AEW just a few short weeks later.

WWE Hall of Famer Reveals ‘Real Reason’ He Left Company

The 52-year-old explained his dislike of how WWE was run under Triple H, in comparison with periods such as the Attitude Era. Copeland revealed that he was not having fun towards the end of his time with WWE, noting that talent had little way of expressing themselves outside what was laid out by various producers and agents.

“A lot of times in the Attitude Era, there might be a plan, but there might not be. My experience by the end of WWE was over-produced, over-rehearsed, over-everything. It kept handcuffs on you to the point where you couldn’t really explore too much.”

Copeland admitted that he enjoys the fact that the product is not as nailed down in AEW. It gives wrestlers the chance to explore and try different things out within the parameters set to them.

With the retirement of veterans over the last year, such as John Cena and AJ Styles, as well as the release of names like Sheamus and The New Day, the WWE locker room has lost a great deal of experience in recent times.

The veteran star reasoned that ‘you need a locker room with different elements’ and people who can be a ‘calming influence’ or ‘a shoulder to turn to’, and made it clear that is one of his main roles of his at this point in his career.

Continue Reading

Trending