Spain World Cup Champion Seeks Trump's Aid for US Entry Denial

WHO:

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Joan Capdevila, 48-year-old former Spain defender

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Joan Capdevila, former Spain defender

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - President Donald Trump

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio

WHAT:

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila stated in an interview with Spanish radio station COPE that his visa was denied because of a match he played in Iran 10 years ago.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila expressed his excitement to attend the final and support the Spanish team, stating, "You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my teammates from 2010 and this team to cheer them on."

[10:23 p.m. ET] - Xinhua - A FIFA Legends Cup match was held at Rockefeller Center in New York, featuring players like Iker Casillas and Novak Djokovic, ahead of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - Xinhua - FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented the trophy to former football player Javier Zanetti at the awarding ceremony of the FIFA Legends Cup match.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila stated, "I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump," in a post on X.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila expressed, "If anyone knows how to fix this, I’ll be eternally grateful."

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila played the full match for Spain in its only other appearance in a World Cup final, the 2010 edition when La Roja won the title with a 1-0 win over the Netherlands after extra time.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila expressed his disbelief, stating, "I can’t believe they won’t let me enter the U.S. ... and that I’ll miss a moment like this with my kids, who love soccer so much..."

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila mentioned in his post, "They just told me that I can't travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied."

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila's visa to enter the U.S. for the World Cup final was denied.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila expressed his excitement to attend the final and support the Spanish team.

WHERE:

[10:23 p.m. ET] - Xinhua - The FIFA Legends Cup match took place at Rockefeller Center in New York, United States.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

WHEN:

[10:23 p.m. ET] - Xinhua - The FIFA Legends Cup match was held on July 17, 2026, ahead of the final match between Argentina and Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Spain will face Argentina on Sunday, July 19.

WHY:

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila's visa was denied due to a match he played in Iran 10 years ago, specifically a game in 2016 against a team of La Liga legends.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila's visa was denied because of a match that he played in Iran 10 years ago, specifically a game in 2016 against a team of all-stars from Iran in Tehran.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila's visa was denied due to a match he played in Iran 10 years ago.

HOW:

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila tagged U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a separate post asking for help.

[10:23 p.m. ET] - USA Today - Capdevila reached out for help on X, tagging President Trump and Marco Rubio.

Capdevila revealed in an interview with Spanish radio station COPE that his visa was denied due to a match he played in Iran a decade ago. Despite this setback, he expressed his excitement about attending the final and supporting the Spanish team, saying, "You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my teammates from 2010 and this team to cheer them on." This conversation comes just days after the FIFA Legends Cup match, which took place on July 17, 2026, ahead of the highly anticipated final between Argentina and Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.