Sepp Blatter supported Swiss legal expert Mark Pieth’s call for fans to avoid travelling to the US
Criticism has intensified on FIFA World Cup 2026 over Trump administration’s travel bans and policies
Fans from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti face entry restrictions in the United States
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter supported a fan boycott of FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in the United States, citing concerns over the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration, both domestically and internationally.
Blatter, who led FIFA from 1998 to 2015 before resigning amid a corruption investigation, made his position clear in a post on social media. He endorsed Swiss legal expert Mark Pieth, who questioned the suitability of the United States as a World Cup host.
Travel Bans, Immigration Policy Fuel Boycott Calls
Swiss attorney Pieth – an anti-corruption specialist and former chair of FIFA’s Independent Governance Committee – told Der Bund last week that fans should avoid travelling to the United States 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. “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.”
Blatter backed the comments on X, quoting Pieth and adding, “I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup.”
The FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the majority of matches set to be played in American cities.
Criticism Mounting Over US World Cup
Concerns within the international community have intensified due to Trump’s calls to take over Greenland, travel bans, and the administration’s handling of protests, particularly in Minneapolis.
Oke Gottlich, a vice-president of the German Football Association, told Hamburger Morgenpost last Friday that the time had come to seriously consider boycotting the World Cup.
“What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?” Gottlich said. “By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.”
Two weeks ago, supporters from Senegal and Ivory Coast were hit with a travel ban by the US government that would effectively prevent them entry unless they already hold valid visas. The Trump administration cited “screening and vetting deficiencies” for the move.
Fans from Iran and Haiti, both of whom have qualified for the tournament, are also barred from entering the United States, having been included in an earlier travel ban.
(With AP Inputs)
