Ivorian Diomande faces World Cup visa hitches

RB Leipzig FC Ivorian winger Yan Diomande faces a race against time to sort out his travel documents ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Bundesliga team has confirmed that Diomande has some visa issues that need to be addressed for him to participate in the World Cup. Canada, the United States and Mexico will co-host the global football showpiece from June 11 July 19.

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On Tuesday, Leipzig announced that Diomande had travelled back to Ivory Coast to rectify the visa issue.

Will Diomande make it to World Cup?

“Yan Diomande is in Ivory Coast to sort out visa matters, including those relating to the upcoming World Cup, and will return to Leipzig tomorrow [Wednesday],” reads the club’s statement.

The 19-year-old was expected back to Germany on Wednesday, just in time for the away Bundesliga fixture at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

The rising African star has been in red-hot form this season scoring and providing assists regularly. Little wonder, he was named the Bundesliga’s Player of the Month for April on Wednesday.

Red-hot form of Diomande

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations star has registered 12 goals and seven assists from 30 league matches this season to generate interest from Europe’s elite clubs including Liverpool FC, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

However, RB Leipzig are reluctant to sell the Ivory Coast national team star, whose value transfer fee is pegged at around €100 million.

With three rounds remaining in the Bundesliga, Leipzig are five points clear of fourth place Stuttgart and five points behind second place Borussia Dortmund.