2026 World Cup: Sepp Blatter attacks FIFA after Somali referee Omar Artan's ordeal in the USA

At 90 years old, Sepp Blatter has lost none of his passion for football. The former FIFA president readily admits to the newspaper "L'Equipe" that he continues to watch matches on television.

The nonagenarian doesn't intend to miss the 2026 World Cup in North America. He is, however, frustrated by certain decisions made by the host countries, particularly the United States. The Swiss official, for example, denounced the US's refusal to allow Somali referee Omar Artan to enter the country to officiate matches.

"If a country refuses entry to a referee, that's a serious problem and the World Cup shouldn't be held in such a country."

He finds it "insane." "When awarding the organization of a World Cup to a country, there are two sacred and fundamental principles. The first is security, which the country must guarantee for the event. The second is granting entry visas to all FIFA officials. And there is nothing more official than a referee. If a country refuses entry to a referee, it's a serious problem, and the World Cup should not be held in such a country," said Sepp Blatter.

He believes that FIFA bears sufficient responsibility in this matter.

"The blame lies primarily with FIFA: they abandoned this principle, which the country (the United States) did not respect. We cannot stop the tournament, but it is absurd," fumed the man who led FIFA between 1998 and 2016.

He regrets the growing influence of politics on football. "Shouldn't the current president (Gianni Infantino) show that he's stronger than his good friend in the White House? When you start letting yourself be dominated by politics, it's bad. And the other federations should also protest," the former leader believes.