Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter expressed his support on Monday for a proposed boycott by fans of the World Cup games scheduled to take place in the United States. His endorsement was rooted in criticism of President Donald Trump's administration and its policies, which Blatter and others believe undermine the appropriateness of the US as a host for the global soccer tournament.
Blatter's position aligns with comments made last week by Mark Pieth, an attorney specializing in white-collar crime and an authority on anti-corruption measures. Pieth, who formerly led the Independent Governance Committee overseeing FIFA reforms, voiced his concerns in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. In that interview, Pieth advised fans to avoid attending matches in the United States, suggesting they would have a better experience watching games on television instead. He also warned that fans who failed to comply with official expectations risked being deported promptly.
On the social platform X, Blatter quoted Pieth's remarks and added, “I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup,” underscoring his agreement with the call for a boycott. Blatter served as FIFA president from 1998 until his resignation in 2015 amidst a corruption probe that cast a shadow over the soccer governing body.
The upcoming World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19, is to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Despite this collaborative hosting arrangement, international soccer figures have raised alarms about the US component due to the Trump administration’s foreign and domestic policies. Critics highlight several contentious issues, including the administration's expansive territorial ambitions concerning Greenland, restrictive travel bans, and aggressive immigration enforcement actions in US cities such as Minneapolis, which sparked protests.
Recently, Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German soccer federation, publicly stated in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost that serious consideration should be given to boycotting the World Cup as a response to these concerns.
Concerns intensified two weeks ago when fan travel plans from Senegal and Ivory Coast, countries with strong soccer followings, were disrupted by new US government restrictions. The Trump administration implemented a ban citing "screening and vetting deficiencies" as justification, effectively barring supporters from these nations who do not already hold valid visas from attending matches. Similar travel bans affect fans from Iran and Haiti as well, both qualifying countries included under earlier iterations of the US travel restrictions.
These developments have sparked a wider debate within the international soccer community about the US's ability to host a tournament that reflects the sport's global and inclusive spirit. The political climate and immigration controls appear to be creating barriers not only for fans eager to support their national teams but also for the sport’s unifying tradition.