KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Ten players from the Jamaican side Mount Pleasant have been denied visas to enter the United States for Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup tie against LA Galaxy.
As a result, Mount Pleasant – the winners of the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup – have been forced to call up several academy players ahead of their Champions Cup debut against Galaxy at the Dignity Health Sports Park in California.
Mount Pleasant’s squad includes seven players from the Caribbean island nation of Haiti.
United States President Donald Trump expanded a travel ban that took effect on January 1, barring Haitian nationals from entering the US.
However, exemptions are in place for events such as the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the US this summer.
“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,” Mount Pleasant sporting director Paul Christie told the Jamaica Observer.
A CONCACAF spokesperson told BBC Sport that the match will go ahead because it was Mount Pleasant’s responsibility to submit visa applications within the timeframe specified by the US.
“The club had ample time to complete the visa application process following the competition’s official draw in December 2025,” CONCACAF said.
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