Switzerland forward Breel Embolo visited the United States embassy in Bern on Wednesday to submit an urgent visa application, a day after he was prevented from boarding the national team's flight to the FIFA World Cup due to a criminal conviction.

Embolo's absence from the flight marked a dramatic turn of events for the Swiss squad as they prepared to compete in the tournament. The conviction against the Monaco striker had triggered an automatic denial under US entry requirements, leaving him behind while his teammates departed.

Switzerland's football federation moved quickly, appealing directly to the embassy in hopes of securing emergency travel clearance for Embolo ahead of the team's World Cup campaign.