Rafa Márquez could be left out of the World Cup

Football player Rafel Márquez will be unable to join Mexico's national football team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia unless he meets all the requirements set forth by the Mexican Football Federation.

The catch? One of the requirements established by the Federation is that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has to erase Márquez from the list of individuals allegedly supporting drug trafficking activities, which could take a long time...time Márquez doesn't have if he wants to play in the upcoming World Cup.

Gabriel Regino, a lawyer at the Regino & Abogados buffet, clarifies Márquez is not accused of any crime yet it will “take a while” for the U.S. Office for Foreign Assets Control to remove his name from the list.

“There are ongoing procedures to solve this issue but from other cases I've known of, this can take not only months but years.”

A complicated situation

According to statements by Decio de María, president of the Mexican Football Association, Marquez won't be joining the national team unless he “resolves the legal issue and extreme caution will be needed for it.”

José Luis Nassar, attorney of the player, has mentioned that while there is no legal restriction stopping Márquez from being part of the national team, the football player won't be able to enter into the United States until he is “crossed off the list of the Department.”

Pursuant to the Mexican Football Federation's Code of Ethics , “All individuals subjected to this Code of Ethics shall refrain from acting, participating, or encouraging acts which may discredit, lose the prestige, or damage in any way the FIFA, Confederations, the Mexican Football Federation, the Clubs, as well as its governing bodies, members, and/or third parties.”

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