Joan Capdevila played every single minute of Spain’s 2010 World Cup campaign, including the full 90 in the final against the Netherlands. He was there for the whole thing. So the idea that he might miss the 2026 final, with Spain back in the championship match, because of a decade-old trip to Iran was, to put it gently, a lot.
Fortunately for Capdevila, the story has a better ending. After a public appeal to President Donald Trump on July 17, the 48-year-old former defender was granted a waiver to enter the United States, clearing the way for him to attend the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
What actually happened
Capdevila had applied for ESTA authorization, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization that allows nationals from certain countries to enter the US without a full visa. His application was denied.
The reason traces back to a trip Capdevila made to Iran roughly a decade ago for an exhibition match. Under US law, travelers who have visited Iran, Cuba, North Korea, or a handful of other designated countries are generally ineligible for the visa waiver program, regardless of why they went.
