"Politics Overshadowed the Game": Sepp Blatter slams FIFA’s management of the 2026 World Cup

Sepp Blatter’s scathing attack on the 2026 World Cup

World Cup 2026 21 July 2026 at 15:36

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"Politics Overshadowed the Game": Sepp Blatter slams FIFA’s management of the 2026 World Cup

Former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter publicly condemned the World Cup 2026 online this Tuesday, citing lost credibility under current leaders.

The longest World Cup in history recently concluded in North America following an expanded format featuring 48 teams and 104 matches.

However former FIFA president Sepp Blatter took to social media platform X to launch a fierce critique against the tournament's overall management. Blatter who held the presidency from June 1998 until December 2015, acknowledged that Spain emerged as a deserving champion but argued that the competition lost its fundamental credibility along the way.

Demanding new FIFA leadership

The Swiss administrator strongly emphasized that political influence must never be allowed to overshadow the game.

In his public statement, Blatter urged fans, players and national associations to unite and steer the sport back to its core values under fresh leadership.

His harsh commentary arrives as current FIFA President Gianni Infantino officially confirmed his intention to run for another term, with the 77th FIFA Congress scheduled for March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

🚨🗣️ Ex FIFA President Sepp Joseph Blatter: “The longest World Cup has come to an end – with the right champions. But on the way to the final whistle, the tournament had lost its credibility".

“Politics must not be allowed to overshadow the game. Now it is up to the fans,… pic.twitter.com/W1ciqHH06v
— THE SCORELINE (@THE_SCORELINE_X) July 21, 2026

Historical feuds and FIFA power struggles

This public attack is far from an isolated incident reflecting a long standing history of friction between FIFA’s past and present leaders.

Ever since Blatter’s tumultuous exit from office in late 2015, the former head of world football has frequently criticized Infantino's commercial expansion strategies.

According to reports from BBC Sport and The Guardian, Blatter previously voiced strong opposition to expanding the World Cup roster beyond 32 teams, repeatedly arguing that inflating the tournament dilutes its sporting prestige purely for broadcast revenue.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.