A Call to Skip the U. S. World Cup: Blatter and Others Raise Concerns

Sepp Blatter, the ex-head of FIFA, recently backed the idea of fans skipping World Cup games in the U. S. He cited President Trump's actions as the reason. This isn't just Blatter's opinion. Others in the soccer world are also questioning if the U. S. should host the event. Blatter shared his thoughts on X. He agreed with Mark Pieth, a Swiss lawyer who specializes in corruption cases. Pieth had some strong words in an interview with a Swiss newspaper. He advised fans to stay home and watch on TV instead. He warned that fans might face trouble if they don't follow the rules.The U. S. is set to co-host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico. But not everyone is happy about it. Some people point to Trump's policies as a reason to boycott. These include his interest in Greenland, travel bans, and how he handles immigrants and protesters. Oke Göttlich, a German soccer official, also spoke out. He suggested that a boycott might be the right move. This comes after the U. S. announced travel restrictions for fans from Senegal and Ivory Coast. Trump said these countries have issues with screening and vetting. Fans from Iran and Haiti will also face travel bans. These countries were part of an earlier travel ban by the Trump administration. This has made it harder for their fans to attend the games.