With just over a month to go before the start of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Boca Juniors faces a major challenge: defender Ayrton Costa was repeatedly denied a visa to enter the USAwhich seriously compromises his presence at the tournament.
The situation for the 25-year-old Argentinian is complicated by his judicial history. The visa refusal is linked to an incident in June 2018, in which Ayrton, his brother and another person were accused of burglarizing a residence in Bernal Oeste, near Buenos Aires. Although they were apprehended by the police at the time without being formally arrested because the stolen items had been recovered and they were unarmed, Ayrton resorted to a probation (“conditional liberty"or "robo calificado en poblado y en banda") to avoid a lawsuit. It is this situation that now makes it difficult for him to obtain a visa for the United States. This is in addition to his brother's arrest for the murder of his partner in 2023.
Boca Juniors was aware of this judicial situation before recruiting the player. The defender had reportedly already tried unsuccessfully to obtain a visa when playing for Independiente, apparently without informing his probation, which would have complicated his current situation. The US authorities refused his request at the end of 2024, then again at the beginning of 2025. The latest attempt also resulted in a negative response just a few days before the start of the tournament.
Faced with this impasse, Boca Juniors ask FIFA for help to try to break the deadlock. According to the journalist Christian InfanzonFIFA is said to have decided to support Boca's request and will intercede with the United States to try and obtain the visa.
The club's objective is to obtain, if possible, a provisional measure allowing Costa to travel for the specific duration of the tournament.
The potential absence of Ayrton Costa would be a hard blow for Boca Juniors. The player is considered a an invaluable part of the defense and has been a "much-used" player. He has played 723 minutes in 10 games for the club since his arrival in 2025. His unavailability could have a significant impact on the team's defensive strategy.
The tournament kicks off on June 14, 2025. Boca Juniors are in Group C, alongside Bayern Munich, Benfica and Auckland City. The club is due to make its debut on June 16 in Miami against Benfica.
Despite tight schedule, Boca Juniors hopes to receive a definitive answer as soon as possible from the American authorities, given the proximity of the start of the competition. However, the final decision rests with the United States. If the visa refusal is upheld, the club will have to evaluate alternatives and look for another left-handed central defender to fine-tune his squad ahead of the tournament.
English 
Français 
Deutsch 
Italiano 
Español