Liberia’s men’s national soccer team, known as the Lone Star. A July 26 international friendly against Minnesota United at Allianz Field was canceled after several key members of the team and its official delegation were denied U.S. entry visas. | Photo courtesy of the Liberia Football Association
Liberia’s men’s national soccer team, known as the Lone Star. A July 26 international friendly against Minnesota United at Allianz Field was canceled after several key members of the team and its official delegation were denied U.S. entry visas. | Photo courtesy of the Liberia Football Association

The international friendly between Minnesota United FC and Liberia’s men’s national soccer team scheduled for July 26 at Allianz Field has been canceled after several members of the Liberian delegation were denied U.S. entry visas.

Minnesota United, the Liberia Lone Star National Football Team and Brooklyn Park-based nonprofit Strengthening African Resilience towards Excellence (SARX), which helped organize the event, announced the cancellation Wednesday.

The match had been planned to coincide with Liberia’s Independence Day and was expected to celebrate the strong ties between Minnesota’s large Liberian community and the Major League Soccer club.

In a statement, Minnesota United said circumstances beyond the parties’ control made it necessary to cancel the match and thanked supporters for their understanding. Fans who purchased tickets will receive automatic refunds.

SARX said the cancellation followed the denial of U.S. entry visas for several key members of the Liberian national team and official delegation, making it impossible to complete travel arrangements in time for the July 26 match. The organization said months of planning had gone into the event, which it described as an opportunity to celebrate Liberia’s independence, showcase Liberian talent and strengthen ties with the diaspora.

The cancellation comes as the Trump administration has tightened visa policies affecting travelers from several African nations, leading to increased scrutiny and delays in some visa applications. While neither Minnesota United nor SARX attributed the visa denials to a specific federal policy, Liberian officials said the team’s inability to secure visas made the trip impossible.

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About Mshale Staff

The byline “By Mshale Staff” is used for stories that involve limited or no original reporting by our newsroom. These stories are often based on press releases or information provided by official sources, including corporations, government agencies and public institutions. The byline also may be used for reports compiled from multiple contributors, wire services, previously published material or aggregated sources when listing individual authors is impractical. Outside sources are generally identified within the story.

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