Blatter Advocates for Boycotting FIFA World Cup Amid Political Concerns

omidbasir- Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter expressed his support on Monday for calls urging fans to “stay away” from FIFA World Cup matches in the United States. This stance is rooted in concerns over the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration, both domestically and internationally.

Blatter’s remarks follow similar sentiments voiced by Mark Pieth, a Swiss attorney and anti-corruption expert, who previously commented in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. Pieth, who chaired the Independent Governance Committee overseeing FIFA reforms a decade ago, has raised questions about the appropriateness of the United States as a host nation.

In his interview, Pieth advised fans, “If we consider everything we’ve discussed, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You’ll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t please the officials, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”

Quoting Pieth in a post on X, Blatter affirmed, “I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup.”

The upcoming World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Concerns within the international soccer community regarding the U.S. as a host stem from Trump’s controversial policies, including expansionist ambitions related to Greenland, travel bans, and stringent immigration enforcement measures, particularly in cities like Minneapolis.

Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German soccer federation, commented in an interview with Hamburger Morgenpost that it may be time to seriously consider boycotting the World Cup.

Fans from countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast faced significant travel challenges after the Trump administration announced a travel ban which effectively barred them from attending the tournament unless they possessed prior visas. The administration cited “screening and vetting deficiencies” as the rationale behind the ban.

Additionally, fans from Iran and Haiti, both of which have qualified for the World Cup, will also be unable to enter the United States due to the previously established travel restrictions.

This summer’s World Cup has already come under scrutiny from fan groups over exorbitant ticket prices, with the list price for a Category 1 ticket to the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 reaching an unprecedented $8,680. FIFA president Gianni Infantino noted that these high prices could be further exacerbated by fans reselling tickets for profit, inflating costs even more.

“People want to go, and they will go and celebrate together. We always, always celebrate football together,” Infantino stated on Monday in response to Blatter’s social media message.