BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Boca Juniors defender Ayrton Costa will miss the Club World Cup after he was denied a visa to enter the United States, the Argentine team said Thursday.
Costa did not make the trip to Miami with his teammates on Sunday because his visa application was still being processed at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires, but he was still included on the roster to play in the tournament that starts Saturday.
Boca Juniors confirmed that the 25-year-old Costa was denied a visa, but did not provide details on the reasons.
Costa was involved in a criminal case over an attempted robbery in 2018 in Bernal, Argentina.
His absence leaves coach Miguel Russo without one of his expected starters for the match against Benfica on Monday in the team’s Group C opener. The group also includes Bayern Munich and Auckland City of New Zealand.
Also, defender Marco Pellegrino, who signed ahead of the Club World Cup, is recovering from a muscle tear.
With Costa out, veteran Marcos Rojo is expected to start. The defender signed with Boca Juniors last January after a brief stint with Belgium’s Royal Antwerp.