Talk Surfaces of Boycotting World Cup Over Trump Policies
In this June 1, 2011, photo, Sepp Blatter gestures during a press conference in Zurich, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter voiced support Monday for the idea of a fan boycott of this year’s World Cup matches in the United States, citing concerns over the policies of President Trump and his administration at home and abroad.
Blatter is the latest prominent figure in international soccer to question whether the United States is a suitable host for the tournament, according to the AP. He endorsed the boycott in a post on X, backing comments made last week by Mark Pieth in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund. Pieth, an anti-corruption expert, previously chaired the Independent Governance Committee that oversaw FIFA reforms about a decade ago.
“If we consider everything we’ve discussed, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA!” Pieth said in the interview. “You’ll see it better on TV anyway.”
Blatter, who led FIFA from 1998 until his resignation in 2015 amid a corruption investigation, said Pieth was right to question “this World Cup.”
Concerns within the international soccer community center on several Trump administration policies, including expansionist rhetoric regarding Greenland, travel bans, and a hardline approach to migration and protests tied to immigration enforcement. According to Deutsche Welle, discussions about a possible boycott have been circulating in Europe.
Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German soccer federation, told the Hamburger Morgenpost on Friday that serious consideration should now be given to a boycott, the AP reported. A Danish official said such action could become necessary if tensions over Greenland were to escalate into conflict.
Travel restrictions announced by the Trump administration two weeks ago also disrupted plans for fans from Senegal and Ivory Coast, two of Africa’s top soccer nations. The ban would prevent many supporters from attending the tournament unless they already hold visas. Trump cited “screening and vetting deficiencies” as the primary reason for the suspensions.
Fans from Iran and Haiti, which have also qualified for the World Cup, will likewise be barred from entering the US, as those countries were included in the administration’s initial travel ban.
Some political and soccer figures have also expressed concern about FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s close alignment with Trump, including his presentation of an inaugural honor to the president. Critics worry the tournament could be used for political messaging, according to DW.
“I don’t know on what grounds FIFA suddenly needs to award a peace prize, but it could be a warning of what could await us when the tournament happens in the US,” said Mogens Jensen of Denmark’s Social Democrats.
The United States is co-hosting the World Cup with Canada and Mexico, with matches scheduled from June 11 to July 19.
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