HIBAPRESS – Sports
Former FIFA President Joseph Blatter has called for a potential fan boycott of the 2026 World Cup matches, against the backdrop of the policies of US President Donald Trump and his administration internally and externally, considering that the United States may not be a suitable country to host the event.
Blatter's position came in support of statements made by Swiss lawyer Marc Biquet, a specialist in corruption cases and former president of the FIFA Independent Governance Committee, who advised fans to avoid traveling to the United States, considering that watching the tournament on television would be a better option. Biquet warned that fans might face arbitrary measures upon entering US territory, which could lead to their immediate return to their countries if the authorities are not satisfied with them, a view that Blatter supported in a post on the "X" platform, saying that questioning the feasibility of organizing the World Cup in the United States seems justified. This controversy comes at a time when the United States is preparing to host the World Cup along with Canada and Mexico during the period from June 11 to July 19, amid growing concerns in international football circles about Trump's policies, especially those related to travel bans, dealing with immigrants, and escalatory stances on international issues such as Greenland, in addition to the methods of dealing with protesters within some American cities.
