A pair of Benfica fans have been left furious and out of pocket after being denied entry to the United States ahead of the Club World Cup – as visa rejections spike amid president Donald Trump's revived hardline stance on immigration.
Two Portuguese supporters, who had booked flights and secured tickets for Benfica's opening match against Boca Juniors in Miami, have seen their travel plans shattered after being refused electronic travel authorisation without explanation.
One of the fans, restaurant owner Fabio Vasques, said he had completed all the required documentation – including the ESTA application, the standard online form needed for visitors from visa-waiver countries – but was stunned when it was twice rejected.
'I filled it out three weeks ago and the answer came back negative,' Vasques told Portuguese newspaper JN. 'I tried again, and the result was the same. No justification was given.'
Vasques had arranged flights from Lisbon to Miami via Madrid and paid for match tickets at the Hard Rock Stadium, where Benfica face Argentine giants Boca Juniors on Monday, June 16. He has now lost €820 (£695) in flights and $150 (£118) for the match ticket – and is hoping to claim some of it back through travel insurance.
The group of four supporters had planned to stay with a friend living in Miami, but only two were cleared for entry. The other fan who was refused a visa declined to comment.
The ESTA programme – officially the Electronic System for Travel Authorization – requires passport details, trip information, and US-based contacts. It costs $21 and is valid for visits of up to 90 days.
But legal experts say applications are being rejected with growing frequency under Trump's return to power.
'It used to be rare for Portuguese citizens to be refused entry into the US,' said Nelson Tereso, a Portuguese-American immigration lawyer. 'But the rules have tightened significantly since Donald Trump's changes.'
Those changes, first introduced during his previous presidency and now being actively enforced again, form part of a broader, controversial immigration crackdown that has dominated the build-up to this summer's Club World Cup.
Riot police, ICE agents and National Guard troops have already been deployed to cities including Los Angeles and Philadelphia, where mass protests have erupted over immigration raids.
Just this week, US Customs and Border Protection posted – then deleted – a message declaring they would be 'suited and booted' at Club World Cup games, sparking fears that matches could be used to identify and detain illegal immigrants.
Though FIFA say they do not expect such actions at stadiums, the uncertainty has heightened anxiety for visiting fans.
