Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches in the United States, citing concerns over the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad.
Blatter voiced his support in a post on X, aligning himself with comments made last week by Swiss attorney and anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth in an interview with the newspaper Der Bund.
Pieth urges fans to stay away
Pieth, who chaired the Independent Governance Committee overseeing FIFA reforms a decade ago, questioned the suitability of the United States as a World Cup host. In the interview, he advised fans to avoid traveling to the country for the tournament.
“If we consider everything we’ve discussed, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA!” Pieth said. He added that fans should expect harsh treatment from authorities and the risk of being expelled if they ran afoul of officials.
Blatter echoed those remarks in his social media post, writing that he believed Pieth was right to question holding the World Cup in the United States.
World Cup co-hosted by three countries
The United States is set to co-host the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico from June 11 through July 19. While matches will be spread across all three countries, the United States is scheduled to host the majority of games.
Broader concerns within the soccer community
Blatter is not alone in raising concerns. Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German soccer federation, said in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost that the time had come to seriously consider boycotting the tournament.
Criticism from international soccer figures has focused on U.S. immigration policies, travel bans, and the Trump administration’s handling of migrants and immigration enforcement protests in American cities, including Minneapolis.
Travel bans affecting World Cup nations
Two weeks ago, travel plans for fans from Senegal and Ivory Coast were disrupted after the Trump administration announced a ban that would effectively prevent their supporters from entering the United States unless they already hold visas. The administration cited “screening and vetting deficiencies” as the reason for the restrictions.
Fans from Iran and Haiti, both of which have also qualified for the World Cup, are similarly barred under earlier versions of the travel ban announced by the Trump administration.
Blatter’s controversial legacy
Blatter led FIFA from 1998 until 2015, when he resigned amid a sweeping corruption investigation into soccer’s governing body. Although no longer in office, his comments continue to draw attention within global soccer debates.
