Prosper Okoye
Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter has urged football fans to reconsider travelling to the United States for this year’s World Cup, citing concerns over security and recent incidents linked to immigration enforcement.
Mr Blatter said he agreed with comments by Swiss anti-corruption lawyer Mark Pieth, who has publicly questioned whether supporters would be safe attending matches in the US.
“I think Mark Pieth is right to question this World Cup,” Mr Blatter said in a post on social media.
The tournament, which will run from 11 June to 19 July, is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelMr Pieth, who previously worked with Fifa during Mr Blatter’s presidency, had earlier advised fans to stay away from the US, pointing to what he described as a deteriorating human rights and security environment.
“What we are seeing domestically – the marginalisation of political opponents, abuses by immigration services – hardly encourages fans to go there,” Mr Pieth told the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.
“For fans, just one piece of advice: avoid the United States,” he said, adding that television coverage would offer a safer alternative.
The remarks followed reports of the deaths of two US citizens in separate incidents linked to immigration enforcement operations earlier this month, which have sparked protests and renewed debate over policing and civil liberties in parts of the country.
Mr Blatter’s intervention is likely to attract attention given his long and controversial association with world football. He stepped down as Fifa president in 2015 amid corruption scandals that later engulfed the sport’s governing body.
Last year, Mr Blatter and former Uefa president Michel Platini were definitively cleared by a Swiss court of charges related to a delayed payment of 2 million Swiss francs (£1.8m) made in 2011.
Fifa, now led by Gianni Infantino, has not publicly responded to the comments. Mr Infantino has in recent years developed close ties with political leaders in the United States, including former president Donald Trump.
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Earlier this month, Mr Platini criticised Mr Infantino’s leadership, saying the Fifa president had “become more of an autocrat” and was increasingly aligned with wealthy and powerful interests.
Despite the criticism, organisers insist preparations for the World Cup are on track and that security arrangements will be robust across all host countries.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
