Blatter has also previously said the 2022 World Cup should have been held in the United States rather than Qatar. What changed, exactly?
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter is concerned about your safety, specifically your travel to the United States for the 2026 World Cup.
Yup, that Sepp Blatter.
According to the 89-year-old Blatter, soccer fans might want to sit this one out because of President Donald Trump, immigration enforcement and America’s supposed hostility toward the rest of the world.
Blatter recently shared comments from Swiss anti-corruption lawyer Mark Pieth, who told a Swiss newspaper, “If we consider everything we’ve discussed, there’s only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA!”
Let’s slow this outrage down a touch.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 22: FIFA President Gianni Infantino shows U.S. President Donald Trump the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office as Vice President JD Vance looks on August 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump announced the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will take place at The Kennedy Center. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Pieth also suggested fans would “see it better on TV anyway” and hinted that visitors could be quickly deported if they do not “please the officials.”
Blatter reposted those comments approvingly, which means a man banned for ethics violations is now in the travel advisory business.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with most matches taking place in American cities.
Former president of World football’s governing body FIFA, Sepp Blatter speaks to a journalist as he arrives at the building of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland to a hearing summoned by Swiss prosecutor on September 1, 2020 in Bern. Blatter and former UEFA president each face interrogation from the Swiss public prosecutor this week as part of the of the proceedings opened in 2015 over a 2011 payment of 2 million Swiss francs. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
It will be the biggest World Cup ever, expanded to 48 teams and expected to bring millions of international visitors to the U.S.
There has been no warning from U.S. officials.
No alerts. No special restrictions tied to the tournament. Nothing.
The truth is, what Pieth and Blatter are really mad about is U.S. immigration policy, not World Cup safety. And that distinction matters, even if they pretend it does not.
Millions of people travel to the United States every year, attend sporting events, walk around freely and go home. Somehow, the World Cup is supposed to be different.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – DECEMBER 02: FIFA President Joseph S Blatter names Qatar as the winning hosts of 2022 during the FIFA World Cup 2018 & 2022 Host Countries Announcement at the Messe Conference Centre on December 2, 2010 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
So, instead of looking at the fake American demon portrayed by these guys, let’s go to Blatter’s history.
Blatter resigned from FIFA in 2015 after the organization imploded in a corruption scandal that made FIFA synonymous with bribery and backroom deals. He was later banned by FIFA’s ethics committee.
During his time in charge, FIFA awarded World Cups to Russia and Qatar, decisions that are still being laughed at.
Blatter has also previously said the 2022 World Cup should have been held in the United States rather than Qatar. (Huh?)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – JULY 20: Comedian Simon Brodkin (not pictured) throws dollar bills at FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter during a press conference at the Extraordinary FIFA Executive Committee Meeting at the FIFA headquarters on July 20, 2015 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images)
Back then, America was apparently safe, functional and acceptable. Now it is too dangerous for soccer fans. Funny how that works.
The United States hosts Super Bowls, the Olympics, major soccer tournaments and massive international events every year.
It remains one of the most visited countries in the world. The idea that the World Cup is suddenly a bridge too far does not pass the smell test.
The 2026 World Cup will be crowded. It will involve long lines and overpriced beer. That is guaranteed.
What it will not be is unsafe.
And when warnings about America come from a disgraced former FIFA president who helped break the sport he ran, fans are probably fine ignoring the advice and booking the trip anyway.
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