Argentine defender Ayrton Costa of Boca Juniors will not be participating in the upcoming Club World Cup after his visa application was turned down by authorities in the United States. The 25-year-old central back was included in the initial list of 35 players who traveled to the U.S., where the team is set to commence its campaign against Benfica on Monday.
According to reports, Costa was purportedly involved in an attempted robbery incident back in 2018. He accepted a probationary sentence related to this case to avoid going to trial. U.S. border agents have the authority to reject visa applications based on criminal convictions.
A spokesperson for the club informed Reuters, “We can confirm Ayrton Costa is confirmed to miss the Club World Cup with Boca.” They added, “The defender was scheduled to depart on Wednesday night… but failed to secure the visa.”
Costa had been considered a potential starter for Miguel Russo`s squad in their initial Group B match, which will be followed by fixtures against Bayern Munich and Auckland City. Having joined Boca in January from Belgian club Antwerp, Costa played in the team`s final game of the season against his former side, Independiente. With Marco Pellegrino, another recent acquisition from Milan, also working on his fitness recovery, this situation might provide an opportunity for ex-Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo to start in Boca`s first match in 18 years.
