Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised the split of matches between the three hosts of the 2026 men’s World Cup and the new 48-team format.
The newly-expanded tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will see 104 games played. The U.S. will host 78 of these matches and every fixture after the round of 16. Each of the three nations will host their own team during the group stage, with Mexico opening the tournament on June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City.
Blatter, 89, said the disparity is “not in the spirit of developing football” and accused the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and his FIFA president Gianni Infantino of “turning football into politics”.
“It’s not right,” Blatter said in an interview released on Saturday with Radio Canada. “By putting the three (co-hosts) together, one would have thought they would have roughly the same share of the pie.”
“It’s (the competition expansion to 48 teams) not good. And playing in three countries is even worse — especially since two of those countries are receiving nothing but crumbs.”
“In this World Cup, the great profiteer will be the United States, but not the spectators,” he continued. “A World Cup should not be organized in a country that does not grant visas (to everyone).”
FIFA declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic.
The U.S. has imposed a string of travel bans on nationals from designated countries, including four countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Iran and Haiti) that have qualified for the World Cup since Trump’s re-election.
Blatter served as FIFA president between 1998 and 2015 before being banned from the sport for eight years after an investigation from the governing body’s ethics committee. FIFA, and the Swiss authorities, alleged that a payment of two million Swiss francs was made as part of a plan to ensure Blatter was re-elected as FIFA president in 2011.
Blatter denied the allegations and was cleared of financial wrongdoing in March 2025 by a Swiss appeals court.
On Saturday, he criticised the relationship between Trump and Infantino, who entered a formal partnership aimed at regeneration in Gaza on Thursday. The current FIFA president attended the inaugural Board of Peace meeting and was seen wearing a red ‘USA’ cap with ’45-47′ on it, a reference to Trump’s non-consecutive presidencies.
“(Trump and Infantino’s relationship) changed the game for the World Cup,” Blatter said.
Trump and Infantino have frequently appeared together Stephanie Scarbrough – Pool/Getty Images
“We have never seen anything like it,” he continued when asked about Trump being awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize.
“We play for peace. It is not up to (FIFA) to give out a Peace Prize. Football is a social, cultural and grassroots event.
“Turning football into politics — because that is largely what is happening now — is, for me, incomprehensible.”
The International Olympic Committee cleared Infantino of alleged breaches of political neutrality on Sunday.
