As the Trump administration prepares for the US to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, some members of the global community are calling for a US FIFA boycott.
Some members of the global football community say: “There is only one piece of advice for fans: “Stay away from the USA!”
That specific formulation came last week from Mark Pieth in an interview with Swiss newspaper Der Bund – a Swiss lawyer who chaired the Independent Governance Commission’s oversight of FIFA reform between 2011 and 2013.
But calls for a boycott of the world’s largest international soccer competition have gained popularity among other prominent soccer figures, lawmakers and fans.
Former FIFA chief Sepp Blatter also backed comments from Mark Pieth, a Swiss lawyer specializing in white-collar crime and an anti-corruption expert, who called on football fans to stay away from the US.
The statements came after the announcement that the US would co-host the World Cup with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Blatter has become the latest international football figure to question the suitability of the US as a host country, calling for a boycott in a post on X on Monday.
“You’ll see it better on TV anyway,” Pieth said, adding: “And upon arrival, fans can expect that if they don’t like the referees, they’ll be put straight on the next flight home. If they’re lucky.”
In his X-post, Blatter, citing Pieth, added: “I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup.”
The 89-year-old was chairman of the football board from 1998 to 2015, when he resigned following a corruption investigation.
The international soccer community’s concerns about the US stem from Trump’s expansionist stance towards Greenland, travel bans and aggressive tactics in dealing with migrants and immigration enforcement protesters in US cities, especially Minneapolis.
Two weeks ago, travel plans for fans from two of Africa’s top soccer nations were thrown into disarray when the Trump administration announced a ban that would effectively ban people from Senegal and Ivory Coast from following their teams unless they already have visas.
Trump cited “deficiencies in screening and vetting” as the main reason for the suspensions.
A member of the German Football Federation’s executive committee says it is time to consider a boycott of the World Cup due to the actions of US President Donald Trump.
Göttlich, president of St. Pauli and vice-president of the German Football Federation, has called for discussion on a boycott of the World Cup
“The life of a professional player is not worth more than the lives of countless people in different regions who are directly or indirectly attacked or threatened by the World Cup host,” Gottlich said.
“Many countries refused to trade with South Africa because it violated human rights and international law, so we must boycott the World Cup in America and everything related to America,” said the vice-president of the German Football Federation, adding: “We cannot sit back and allow someone to destabilize the world, and it becomes business as usual. That is an act of cowardice.”
Meanwhile, more than 100,000 fans in the Netherlands have also signed an online petition urging the national team to boycott the tournament.
