Ayrton Costa misses the Club World Cup due to visa issues
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Boca Juniors defender Ayrton Costa will not be able to participate in the Club World Cup after being denied a visa to enter the United States, the Argentine team reported this Thursday.
Costa did not travel to Miami with his teammates on Sunday, as his visa application was still being processed at the United States embassy in Buenos Aires. Despite this, he was included in the list of players for the tournament that begins on Saturday.
Boca Juniors confirmed that Costa, 25 years old, was denied a visa, but did not provide details about the reasons.
Costa was involved in a criminal case related to an attempted robbery in 2018 in Bernal, Argentina.
His absence leaves coach Miguel Russo without one of the expected players for the match against Benfica on Monday, at the start of Group C. This group also includes Bayern Munich and Auckland City from New Zealand.
In addition, defender Marco Pellegrino, who signed before the Club World Cup, is recovering from a muscle tear.
With Costa’s absence, veteran Marcos Rojo is expected to start. The defender signed with Boca Juniors last January after a brief stint with Royal Antwerp of Belgium.
