On January 14, the Brazilian esports team FURIA announced that their main roster would likely miss the first match of the Americas Kickoff tournament, which begins on January 17.

According to the team's official media outlet, The Move, FURIA applied for visas within the required timeframe and followed the standard procedure, similar to other Brazilian teams. However, U.S. authorities only issued the visas on January 11, causing a significant delay. As a result, the team won't be able to finalize the necessary documentation and arrive before the tournament starts.

FURIA explained that the visa application process began on October 9. According to the original plan, visas were expected to be ready by December, after which the team planned to start their training bootcamp in Los Angeles in January. However, delays caused by authorities disrupted these plans despite repeated requests to expedite the process.

We are extremely disappointed with the situation.

commented the team's head coach, peu

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According to VALORANT general manager lukzera, the main roster will be able to join the tournament for the second or third match. For the first match against 2Game Esports, scheduled for January 17, a temporary roster of North American players will compete.

FURIA is one of the strongest teams in South America, having won the offseason Tixinha Invitational title. Despite submitting their visa applications early, the team found itself in a tough situation due to unforeseen delays.

This is not the first time Brazilian players have faced visa issues ahead of tournaments. Last year, the LOUD team encountered a similar problem before the Masters Madrid 2024, which ultimately affected their performance.