Portland Thorns and Venezuela’s female national team Forward Daina Castalnos said they do not know that it would be safe for dozens of countries including Venezuela to travel outside the United States due to uncertainty around possible travel sanctions in the United States.
Castelanos told reporters on Wednesday, “As uncertainty, yes, I can go home, but do not know if I can come back, it’s something that is very scary, not only for me but also for players in the league,” Castlanos told reporters on Wednesday.
The ESPN first stated for the first time last week that Castlenos did not travel to Venezuela recently for the national team’s game against Panama due to lack of clarity around the United States’ new possible travel sanctions.
“It was very sad that I could not go with the national team, but I think it was the right decision for me that I was stopping and just increasing and growing – but to be mainly able to live in America and be able to play here,” she said on Wednesday.
Venezuela was allegedly listed at the highest level of potential travel sanctions proposed from the Trump Administrator, but the plan has not yet been finalized with a possible list of countries.
Many international players of NWSL lived with their clubs during the recently concluded FIFA window due to the proposed travel sanctions.
Four top players from Zambia compete in NWSL, but they lived in the US instead of joining their national team in China this month. They were the players: Orlando Pride Trio Barbara Banda, Priska Chilufya and Grace Chanda, Bay FC Forward Rashik with Kundananji
Zambian FA general secretary Ruben Kamanga said last week that “recently introduced measures” prevented the players from traveling, but they would definitely “be available” for future international duty.
The next woman FIFA International Window begins in late May.
The continental championships are being staged this summer in Africa, Europe, Oceania and South America.
“I have worked in professional games for decades, and I think there is many times in our history where professional sports leagues, depending on what policy discussion is going on, use it as to call and educate the decisions affecting our business.”
“This is what we will continue to do to get ready and to ensure that we are ready to support our athletes and our business.”
Potential US travel restrictions can cause football leagues beyond NWSL and problems for events.
America will host two important international men’s tournaments in this summer: ConcacAF Gold Cup and FIFA expanded club World Cup.
The first 48-team Men’s World Cup will be hosted by the US in the next summer.
“We have been ties with the state department for a long time,” US Soccer CEO and general secretary JT Batson told ESPN.
“We have been working with them on decades, visa-related dynamics, so this is something we have been doing for a long time and my guess is that if we are talking to someone after 20 years from now, we are still going to navigate around visa dynamics because players come from all over the world. It is very standard goods for us.”
