Spain World Cup icon forced to issue Trump public plea after US visa denial

Spanish World Cup winner Joan Capdevila has made a public appeal to Donald Trump as he attempts to attend Sunday's final against Argentina. The two nations clash at MetLife Stadium on Sunday after establishing themselves as the standout sides from a remarkable tournament.

European champions Spain narrowly defeated favorites France in their semi-final, while Argentina battled back against rivals England, with Lionel Messi stepping up when it mattered most.

All attention will now turn to New Jersey, with Donald Trump set to make his long-awaited appearance at the tournament, as the President is expected to present the trophy to the victorious captain.

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Capdevila was a key member of the Spain squad that lifted the trophy in 2010 and had hoped to make the trip to the United States with his family to witness the final, only to be refused entry.

He turned to social media to address Trump directly, writing: "I NEED HELP. They just told me that I can't travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied."

"Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my 2010 teammates and this team to cheer them on.

"I can't believe they're not letting me into the USA... and that I'll miss a moment like this with my kids who love soccer so much. If anyone knows how to fix this, I'll be grateful to you for life."

Capdevila subsequently revealed to Spanish media that his entry was refused due to his participation in a soccer match in Iran back in 2016. Iran competed in the tournament but initially encountered severe restrictions, being allowed to enter the US only the day before their group stage fixtures.

This followed tensions between the two nations, with Trump previously hinting Iran might not participate at all.

They were permitted to compete in all three group stage games, but players criticized the treatment they endured, while their coach suggested they had been 'oppressed' due to the limitations.

Amir Ghalenoei said: "To my players and the team, I want to say to them I'm proud of them. What these young people, these players have done, it should be written in history because the host country treated us very unfairly.

"Despite all of these problems, we've been able to perform well and the world is proud of Iranians and our team.

"I urge Fifa: don't let hosts treat players and teams the same way in future World Cups."