Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has voiced support for calls urging fans to “stay away” from upcoming FIFA World Cup matches in the United States due to concerns about President Donald Trump and his administration’s actions both domestically and internationally.
Blatter’s remarks came in a post on X, echoing sentiments expressed by Mark Pieth in a recent interview with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. Pieth, a Swiss attorney known for his expertise in white-collar crime and anti-corruption efforts, previously chaired the Independent Governance Committee overseeing reforms in FIFA a decade ago. Blatter served as president of FIFA from 1998 until 2015, when he resigned amid a corruption investigation.
In his interview, Pieth admonished, “Based on all we’ve discussed, my only advice for fans is: Stay away from the USA! You’ll experience it better on TV anyway. And fans should anticipate that if they don’t please the officials, they might be sent straight back home—if they’re lucky.”
Blatter quoted Pieth in his X post, stating, “I think Mark Pieth is correct to question this World Cup.”
The United States is set to co-host the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Concerns from the international soccer community regarding the U.S. hosting stem from Trump’s aggressive stance on issues such as Greenland, travel bans, and his administration’s hard-line approach toward migrants and protesters in cities like Minneapolis.
Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German football federation, recently indicated in an interview with Hamburger Morgenpost that it may be time to seriously discuss boycotting the World Cup.
Last week, travel plans for fans from Senegal and Ivory Coast, two leading soccer nations in Africa, were disrupted after the Trump administration announced a ban preventing individuals from those countries from attending the tournament unless they already possess visas. Trump cited “screening and vetting deficiencies” as justification for these restrictions.
Fans from Iran and Haiti, also World Cup qualifiers, will be barred from entering the United States as they were among the first affected by the initial travel ban set by the Trump administration.
This year’s World Cup has faced substantial criticism from fan groups over exorbitant ticket prices. The surge in demand and the use of dynamic pricing have resulted in the price for a Category 1 ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 reaching a staggering $8,680.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino remarked on Friday that these high prices might be further exacerbated by fans attempting to resell their tickets for profit, which could increase overall costs.
“People want to attend, and they will come together to celebrate. We always, always celebrate football together,” Infantino stated in response to Blatter’s social media remarks.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.