March 8 – The politics of the United States is being felt worldwide, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup is getting caught in the slipstream.
The regional governing body is scrambling to resolve a visa crisis involving Jamaican club Mount Pleasant FA ahead of its round-of-16 clash with LA Galaxy in California on Wednesday.
Ten players from the Jamaican Premier League side have so far been unable to secure U.S. visas. The most complicated cases involve six Haitian players on Mount Pleasant’s roster. Haiti is among the countries whose citizens are currently barred from entering the United States under immigration restrictions introduced after Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025.
According to sources close to the club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships with authorities, the problem is not only outright denials. Some players simply cannot get visa appointments in time, with interview slots scheduled after the match itself.
The situation leaves Mount Pleasant facing the very real possibility of traveling to Los Angeles without a significant portion of its first-team squad.
Sporting director Paul Christie did not hide his frustration saying: “We don’t want to just show up for the game, we want to be able to compete,” Christie told the Jamaica Observer. “But we are not being given the opportunity to be at our best.”
Head coach Theodore Whitmore may now be forced to rely on seven or eight academy players just to fill the roster.
The irony is hard to ignore. The United States is preparing to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an event that depends on the free movement of players and teams from around the world.
CONCACAF is working behind the scenes with Mount Pleasant and U.S. authorities in an attempt to salvage the tie. The second leg is scheduled for March 19 in Kingston.
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