Overview
- Blatter endorsed Swiss lawyer Mark Pieth’s advice for supporters to “stay away from the USA,” quoting Pieth’s comments in a post on X.
- Pieth and other critics cite President Donald Trump’s policies, including travel bans and aggressive immigration enforcement, as reasons to question the U.S. as host.
- Ongoing restrictions are set to block or deter fans from several qualified nations, notably Iran and Haiti, and complicate travel for supporters from Senegal and Ivory Coast.
- Additional voices urging discussion of boycotts include German federation vice president Oke Göttlich and South African politician Julius Malema, though no national federation has committed to withdraw.
- U.S. organizers and the State Department are promoting a prioritized visa system known as FIFA PASS to ease entry, while analysts note large-scale institutional boycotts remain unlikely.