Sports
Sepp Blatter Suggests World Cup Fans Should Avoid United States
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has seemingly agreed with the idea that fans should boycott the 2026 World Cup. Amid growing concerns over matches that will be held in the United States, there has been talk that some nations won’t attend the tournament – which will also be hosted by Mexico and Canada.
A number of geopolitical issues in recent times have sparked safety fears for those who might travel to the US. For instance, the growing presence of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) across the nation, is one of the reasons England’s official LGBT+ fan group will now boycott the World Cup.
Beyond that, Donald Trump’s intention to capture Greenland has sparked rising tensions in Europe. In the Netherlands, a petition to boycott the tournament gathered thousands of signatures and led to a response from the Dutch FA. Notable figures in France and Germany have also had to clarify their nations’ stance on attending the competition.
Blatter Warns World Cup Fans Against Going to United States
Ex-FIFA president Blatter is the latest big name to weigh in on the matter. The 89-year-old shared a statement on his social media account on Monday, expressing his concerns. He wrote:
“‘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.”
Mark Pieth is a Swiss anti-corruption lawyer, who worked with FIFA on potential reforms when Blatter was president between 1998 to 2015. In an interview with Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger last week, via the Guardian, Pieth suggested fans should avoid the US:
“What we are seeing domestically – the marginalisation of political opponents, abuses by immigration services, et. – hardly encourages fans to go there.
“For fans, just one piece of advice: avoid the United States! You’ll get a better view on television anyway. Upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t behave properly with the authorities, they will be immediately sent home. If they’re lucky …”
Two-Time World Cup Winner Refused to Go to White House Despite Donald Trump Invite
US President Donald Trump once asked World Cup winner to the visit the White House – but she refused the request.
Michel Platini Dubs Gianni Infantino “an Autocrat”
Blatter stepped down as president in 2015 amid several scandals and was replaced by Gianni Infantino. Last year, Blatter and former UEFA chief Michel Platini were acquitted definitively on charges stemming from a delayed payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.8m) FIFA made to Platini in 2011 for consultancy services.
Platini spoke out against Infantino last month, saying he has “become more of an autocrat” and “he likes the rich and powerful”. The current FIFA president has forged close ties with Trump, recently handing him FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize award – which left some insiders ’embarrassed’.
Infantino recently insisted that the 2026 World Cup will be a chance to ‘unite’, bizarrely taking a swipe at British fans in doing so. He said: “Qatar in 2022, there were a lot of critics, of course. We had virtually no incidents.
“For the first time in history, also, no Brit was arrested during the World Cup. Imagine! This is something really, really special. It was a celebration, it was a party. And the next one, in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be exactly the same. Of course, we live in a divided world, and of course we support peace. We all have to support peace, we all have to unite. And we bring people together.”
The tournament begins on 11 June when Mexico host South Africa. The USMNT will then face Paraguay two days later in Los Angeles, while Canada’s opening game is sandwiched in between (they will play either Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Northern Ireland or Wales).
