Former FIFA Boss Tells Fans to “Stay Away” From U.S. World Cup Matches

Ex-FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has endorsed a boycott of World Cup games in the United States, citing concerns about the Trump administration’s domestic and foreign policies.

Blatter signaled his agreement with Swiss lawyer Mark Pieth, who recently told Der Bund that the U.S. might be an unsuitable host.

While Blatter presided over international soccer from 1998 to 2015, his tenure ended abruptly following a high-profile corruption scandal.

Blatter called for the boycott on a post on his X account that supported Mark Pieth’s comments.

“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,” Sepp Blatter said on a post.

Also Read: Russia, China in Panic as Trump Makes U-Turn on Greenland and Targets Entire Arctic

Interview with Der Bund

During an interview with Der Bund, Pieth said that an advice he will give to the fans is to stay away from USa and rather stream on the TVs.

“If we consider everything we’ve discussed, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You’ll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t please the officials, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”

Trump’s expansionist stance on Greenland, travel restrictions, and harsh methods of handling immigrants and immigration enforcement demonstrators in American cities, especially Minneapolis, are the main reasons why the international soccer community is concerned about the United States. Also Read: FIFA Responds to Fan Backlash With Cheaper Limited Tickets for 2026 World Cup

When the Trump administration announced an expanded ban in December, 2025  that would essentially prevent people from Senegal and Ivory Coast from following their teams unless they already had visas, travel plans for supporters of two of Africa’s top soccer nations were thrown into disarray.

Trump stated that the suspensions were primarily due to “screening and vetting deficiencies.”

The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico from June 11-July 19, 2026.

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Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter X post on January 27, 2026. PHOTO/Screengrab by Hivileo