Blatter warns World Cup fans: Avoid traveling to America!

Less than five months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, Swiss Joseph Sepp Blatter, former president of FIFA, called on fans to avoid traveling to the United States, expressing concerns regarding security and the internal political situation in the country, according to what was published by the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, citing statements made by Blatter through his account on the X platform.

In this context, Blatter published, through his account on the

For his part, Mark Bethe explained in the same interview with the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that what is currently happening inside the United States, such as the marginalization of political opponents and what he described as violations of immigration services, does not encourage fans to travel to attend the tournament, indicating, according to the same source, that watching on television will be better and safer.

In light of these statements, Blatter and Beth’s concerns come at a time when the United States, along with Canada and Mexico, is preparing to host the largest edition in the history of the World Cup with the participation of 48 teams. However, these criticisms, as reported by Le Soir newspaper, reopen the debate about the suitability of the political and social conditions in the United States to receive millions of visitors.

On the other hand, these statements cannot be separated from the old differences between Blatter and the current FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, as media reports indicate that Blatter is still directing sharp criticism at his successor, who assumed the presidency of FIFA in 2015 after his removal from the position.

Returning to the judicial process, Blatter had faced charges related to fraud and mismanagement, before he was finally acquitted by the Swiss judiciary in 2025, along with former UEFA President Michel Platini, according to what was reported by several Swiss and European media.

@Alaa Omri