Spain’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final have been accompanied by an unexpected off-field story after 2010 World Cup winner Joan Capdevila revealed that she was reportedly denied entry into the United States and appealed directly to the US President. Donald Trump for help.Spain will face defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s final at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with Luis de la Fuente’s side looking to win the country’s second World Cup title after their victory in South Africa 16 years ago. Capdevila had hoped to attend with his former teammates to support La Roja, but said his travel plans were in doubt after his Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application was rejected.ESTA allows eligible travelers to visit the United States for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Capdevila made a public appeal to Trump.“I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump!They just told me that I can’t travel to the final with my children because my ESTA was denied.Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I am to be there with all my 2010 teammates and this team to cheer them on. I can’t believe that they didn’t let me enter the USA … and that I missed a moment like this with my children who love soccer so much.If anyone knows how to fix this, I’ll be grateful to you for life.”Capdevila has not publicly stated why her ESTA application was denied, and there has been no official response from US authorities or the White House regarding her appeal.The former left-back remains one of the key figures from Spain’s historic 2010 World Cup-winning side under Vicente del Bosque.Capdevila played every minute of Spain’s victorious campaign in South Africa, helping La Roja to one of the strongest defensive records in World Cup history. Spain conceded just two goals, both during the group stage, before keeping clean sheets throughout the knockout rounds en route to beating the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time in the final.His importance to the side is shown in more than just his defensive work. Equally effective in attack and defense, Capdevila finished among the top 10 players in the tournament for distance covered, running 71.79 kilometers across seven matches in Spain.He also occupied a special place in Vicente del Bosque’s starting XI. Capdevila was the only player in Spain’s lineup for the 2010 World Cup final who did not represent Real Madrid or Barcelona at the time, establishing himself as Villarreal’s first-choice left-back. The former Spain international, now 48, retired from professional football in 2017 after ending his career at FC Santa Coloma.Spain is now aiming to lift the World Cup for the second time, while Argentina is chasing a fourth global title and trying to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the trophy. Whether Capdevila will witness the occasion in person remains uncertain after his reported withdrawal from the trip.