Sepp Blatter advises fans to boycott World Cup in the USA
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has backed calls from Swiss lawyer Mark Pieth urging football supporters to stay away from the United States during this summer’s World Cup, reports BritPanorama.
Blatter, now 89, expressed his support for Pieth’s stance in a post on X, stating: “For the fans, there’s only one piece of advice: stay away from the USA! I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup.”
Pieth, who led FIFA’s Independent Governance Committee from 2013 to 2016, cited concerns over immigration enforcement and security risks under the Trump administration during an interview with Swiss newspaper Der Bund. He characterized the United States as being “in a state of tremendous turmoil,” noting the marginalization of political opponents and incidents of abuse by immigration authorities that may deter fan attendance.
He warned that supporters should anticipate harsh treatment at the border. Those displeasing officials could face immediate deportation, he suggested. Blatter’s remarks come in the wake of recent events, including the deaths of two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, after encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, which have sparked widespread unrest across the nation.
The 2026 World Cup, set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will take place from 11 June to 19 July, featuring all knockout matches from the last 16 onwards in the US. The complexities surrounding fan attendance are exacerbated for supporters from countries like Iran and Haiti, whose citizens face restrictions on entering the United States.
Blatter, who served as FIFA’s president for 17 years until stepping down amid a corruption scandal in 2015, has yet to receive an official response from FIFA regarding his comments. Meanwhile, preparations for the competition continue across all host nations.
As anticipation builds for a tournament that promises to bring football into the spotlight across North America, questions about the environment and safety have surfaced, reminding us that the beautiful game often intersects with tumultuous times.
