Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has waded back into global football’s biggest political fault line, openly backing calls for fans to boycott World Cup matches in the United States over growing security and civil rights concerns.
Mr Blatter’s comments, made on Monday via social media, lend high-profile support to a controversial warning issued by Mark Pieth, the Swiss anti-corruption lawyer who once worked with FIFA on governance reforms during Blatter’s presidency.
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“I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup,” Mr Blatter wrote, aligning himself firmly with calls for supporters to stay away from the United States.
A tournament under scrutiny
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July, is already shaping up as the most expansive in history. But Mr Pieth, and now Mr Blatter, argue that events inside the US are casting a troubling shadow over the tournament.
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Mr Pieth cited the killing of protester Renee Good by an American immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier this month as a central reason for urging fans not to travel. Mr Blatter’s endorsement came shortly after the death of a second US citizen, Alex Pretti, last weekend, further inflaming concerns.
In an interview with the Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger last week, Mr Pieth painted a stark picture.
“What we are seeing domestically, the marginalisation of political opponents, abuses by immigration services, etc., hardly encourages fans to go there,” he said.
“For fans, just one piece of advice: avoid the United States! You’ll get a better view on television anyway.” Mr Blatter posted on X
He went further, warning of the risks supporters could face upon arrival.
“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.”
“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. #MarkPieth #GianniInfantino #DonaldTrump #FIFAWorldCup2026 #USA
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) January 26, 2026
Blatter’s voice still carries weight
Though Mr Blatter stepped down as FIFA president in 2015 amid a wave of corruption scandals, his voice remains influential, particularly when it challenges FIFA’s current leadership.
He was replaced by Gianni Infantino, whose tenure has been marked by the aggressive expansion of FIFA competitions and closer ties to global political powerbrokers.
Last year, Mr Blatter and former UEFA president Michel Platini were definitively acquitted of charges linked to a delayed two million Swiss francs ($2.5 million) payment FIFA made to Mr Platini in 2011 for consultancy services, a case that had long hovered over both men’s legacies.
Growing tension with FIFA’s present
Earlier this month, Mr Platini launched a scathing assessment of Mr Infantino, accusing him of drifting toward authoritarianism.
READ ALSO: “It is simply not right”, FIFA president condemns chaotic AFCON final
The former France captain claimed Mr Infantino, who has forged a close relationship with US President Donald Trump, has “become more of an autocrat” and “likes the rich and powerful.”
Those remarks now sit alongside Mr Blatter’s endorsement of a fan boycott, deepening unease about FIFA’s direction and the optics of staging football’s biggest festival amid rising political and security tensions.
Football, power and the cost of hosting
For decades, the World Cup has been sold as football’s great unifier, a tournament meant to transcend politics, borders and ideologies. Yet Mr Blatter’s intervention underscores an uncomfortable reality: hosting the World Cup has never been more political, or more scrutinised.
With less than six months to kick off, FIFA now faces a challenge beyond stadiums and logistics, convincing the world that fans will be safe, welcome and free.
And when a former FIFA president openly says “avoid the United States,” the warning lands not as background noise, but as a direct challenge to football’s governing authority and the legacy of the tournament itself.
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