FIFA World Cup 2018: Mexico defender Rafael Marquez is on a US blacklist

Add as a preferred source on Google

Bengaluru, June 21: Mexico football icon Rafael Marquez became only the third player in the history of the World Cup to appear five-times when he came on for Mexico in their 1-0 shock win over Germany. However, the defender has now been involved in a fresh controversy as the United States have accused the veteran of being involved with a drug trafficker and has banned him from being seen with any US product.

The 39-year-old is on a US Treasury Department blacklist of people and is suspected of having some involvement in laundering money for a drug cartel. For a year, the issue has been ongoing and the former Barcelona man has repeatedly denied the accusation and till now has not been charged with any offence.

But despite strongly denying the allegations, the US government now has blacklisted him and the player had all his assets in the US, and Mexican with ties to American companies, frozen. The authority has also declared that he is ineligible to be associated with any American individuals, businesses or banks throughout the tournament in Russia.

They also stated that should any of the US Sponsors consciously get into contract with Márquez during the tournament, the US government could pursue fines of up to $10m (£7.5m) against the company and prison sentences against individuals.

Due the rule, the player now has to wear different branded training kits and also has to drink water from a different brand as both the products are of US companies.

Additionally, if he also gets a man of the match award in the tournament, he will be ineligible to be rewarded with the Budweiser Man of the Match award because the sponsorer is too from the US.

Mexico football federations also have confirmed the news and insisted that they will follow the protocol.

The Mexican football federation said: “We take seriously the actions of the US Treasury Department, and we have structured our World Cup operations so as not to violate US sanctions laws."

Regarding the issue, FIFA has also maintained that Márquez can only give interviews for telecast in areas where no US sponsorship branding is visible and if the veteran is chosen to give a press conference at any point during the tournament, there must be a translator who is not an American national.

Marquez has made 145 appearances for the Mexico and is set to retire at the end of the World Cup. He is expected to be in the squad for Mexico's upcoming game against South Korea.