"Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday backed calls for fans to "stay away" from FIFA World Cup matches in the United States because of the conduct of President Donald Trump and his administration at home and abroad. Blatter was the latest international soccer figure to call into question the suitability of the United States as a host country in a post on X that supported Mark Pieth's comments from an interview last week with the Swiss newspaper Der Bund."
"If we consider everything we've discussed, there's only one piece of advice for fans: Stay away from the USA! You'll see it better on TV anyway. And upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don't please the officials, they'll be put straight on the next flight home. If they're lucky."
Sepp Blatter publicly endorsed advice urging fans to stay away from World Cup matches in the United States, echoing anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth. Pieth advised fans to watch on television and warned that visitors who displease officials could be immediately sent home. Concerns focus on President Donald Trump's expansionist rhetoric on Greenland, travel bans and aggressive tactics toward migrants and protestors in U.S. cities. German football vice president Oke Göttlich suggested seriously considering a boycott. Travel plans for fans from two top African countries were disrupted by a recent U.S. travel ban. The U.S. will co-host the tournament with Canada and Mexico, June 11–July 19.
Read at ESPN.com
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