A Club World Cup star has been denied entry to the United States – paving the way for a former Manchester United star to grace the big stage.
Boca Juniors defender Ayrton Costa is set to miss the tournament after his visa application was rejected twice for reasons the club did not disclose.
Costa, 25, was named in an attempted robbery case in Argentina in 2018 but was granted probation in 2023 to avoid a trial, according to Mundo Deportivo.
The case was reportedly classified as ‘aggravated robbery in a populated area and as a group’ and the record remains active and impacts his visa applications.
He was also named in court documents as an accessory to a domestic violence murder for which his brother is a defendant, according to Marca, but was never charged.
Costa suffered a similar ban in 2023 while he was a player for Independiente, though that was not for the Club World Cup.
Boca Juniors star Ayrton Costa has seen his visa application denied twice by the US
His absence means that former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo, 35, is expected to get the nod in Boca’s defence.
Rojo’s role declined to that of a bit-part player last season but he still managed to play 13 games.
The Argentinian spent seven years with Manchester United between 2014 and 2018.
Now he has a chance to be a hero for Boca after a mixed spell which almost saw him kicked out of the club for good in May.
The centre-back reportedly became ‘heated’ as he complained about the club not offering him a new deal during a team bonding BBQ with his team-mates, including ex-United striker Edinson Cavani, according to Ole.
Word of his frustration was leaked to club president Juan Riquelme, who was reportedly furious with the defender’s actions.
Rojo was axed for the Torneo Apertura play-off quarter-final defeat by Independiente earlier, the club’s biggest game of the season, in May.
But Costa’s loss may be Rojo’s gain. Manager Miguel Angel Russo must cope with the late blow after already submitting Costa as part of his 35-man squad list to FIFA.
Boca have only featured in the Club World Cup once before, reaching the final against AC Milan back in 2007 but losing 4-2. They were also due to participate in 2001 but that edition was cancelled.
Returning to the revamped tournament, they will face Benfica, Bayern Munich, and Auckland City in the group stages.
More to follow.
