Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter expressed support on Monday for calls urging fans to “stay away” from FIFA World Cup matches in the United States, criticizing the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration both domestically and internationally.
Blatter is the most recent international soccer figure to question the appropriateness of the U.S. as a World Cup host, referencing remarks made by Mark Pieth during an interview with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund last week.
Pieth, a Swiss attorney known for his specialization in white-collar crime and anti-corruption, previously chaired the oversight of FIFA reform through the Independent Governance Committee a decade ago. Meanwhile, Blatter served as president of FIFA from 1998 until 2015, resigning amid a corruption investigation.
In his Der Bund interview, Pieth advised, “Given our discussions, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You’ll have a better experience on TV anyway. also, fans should be prepared for the possibility of being sent home on the next flight if they fail to please the officials.”
Blatter reiterated Pieth’s remarks in his post on X, stating: “Mark Pieth is justified in questioning this World Cup.”
The U.S. will co-host the World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Concerns from the global soccer community regarding the U.S. revolve around Trump’s aggressive stance on Greenland, travel bans, and harsh measures against migrants and immigration protestors in American cities, notably Minneapolis.
Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German soccer federation, mentioned in an interview with Hamburger Morgenpost on Friday that the moment had arrived to seriously contemplate boycotting the World Cup.
Fans from two leading African soccer nations encountered travel complications in December when the Trump administration announced a ban effectively prohibiting individuals from Senegal and Ivory Coast from supporting their teams unless they possessed visas. Trump cited “screening and vetting deficiencies” as the principal reason for the suspensions.
Additional restrictions will prevent fans from Iran and Haiti, two other countries that qualified for the World Cup, from entering the United States; they were part of the initial travel ban established by the Trump administration.
This summer’s World Cup has already encountered significant backlash from fan groups regarding exorbitant ticket prices, as unprecedented demand and dynamic pricing have set the list price for a Category 1 ticket for the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19 at $8,680.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino indicated on Friday that these high prices may be further increased as fans with tickets look to sell them for profit on resale sites, thus escalating the overall cost.
“People have the desire to attend, and they will go out and celebrate together. We consistently celebrate football as one,” Infantino stated on Monday when questioned about Blatter’s social media remarks.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.
