Skip to content

Report: Trump ban scuppered DP deal with unnamed player

RUSSELL CHEYNE / Reuters

President Donald Trump's controversial travel ban has negatively influenced dealings between Major League Soccer and players of Islamic faith, with Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl reporting that a Designated Player-level signing was partly hindered by Trump's immigration policy.

One MLS executive reportedly told Wahl that their pursuit of a Muslim player was scuppered because the player "didn't feel safe in the United States right now" and while it wasn't the only reason for the deal failing to develop, it was certainly a factor.

While Wahl does not name which player or team was involved in this dealing, he did specify that the player was not from one of the seven Muslim-majority countries on the travel ban list, which are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

The executive order was eventually overruled by a federal court.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox