Ayrton Costa denied US visa, misses Club World Cup

Boca Juniors defender Ayrton Costa will not join his team at the Club World Cup after his visa application was denied by the United States embassy in Buenos Aires.

The 25-year-old player could not travel to Miami with his teammates last Sunday — despite being listed in the squad for the tournament starting this weekend.

A criminal case involving Costa in Bernal about seven years ago is suspected to be the reason for the visa denial. Costa’s absence forces coach Miguel Russo to reorganize team strategy ahead of the match against Benfica in Group C next Monday.

The team’s situation is further complicated as defender Marco Pellegrino — a new recruit for this tournament — is recovering from a muscle injury. Marcos Rojo, a veteran defender who joined Boca Juniors about 1.5 years ago, is expected to fill Costa’s position.