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It’s a worldie Tuesday!
Hello, Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we explore Sepp Blatter’s ethical stance on this year’s World Cup.
Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
The take: The world's most disgraced football official just became the moral voice of the 2026 World Cup boycott.
What happened: Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter backed calls Monday for fans to "stay away from the USA," citing immigration enforcement and domestic unrest.
Why it matters: FIFA projects a $17 billion US tourism boost—a credible boycott puts billions at risk before kickoff.
What to watch: Whether European federations follow Germany's vice president, who said Friday it's time to "seriously consider" a boycott.
The man who resigned amid FIFA's biggest corruption scandal is now the ethics police. Football's governance has gotten so strange that its most compromised figure sounds reasonable.
Sponsor Break
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Here’s Your Brew
Travel bans created the boycott before anyone called for one.
Senegalese and Ivorian fans didn't choose to stay home. They're blocked. Blatter and Pieth just gave that reality a slogan.
Infantino bet FIFA's political capital on Trump—White House visits, a Peace Prize with no selection process, and the draw moved from Vegas to DC on request.
European federations watched their influence shrink.
Now Germany's vice president is publicly floating a boycott, and Blatter is amplifying it.
This isn't really about ethics.
It's about who controls football's biggest stage. Infantino picked Trump.
His critics are picking a fight.
Fans just want to watch football.
Two Sides, One Mug
Pro: Immigration enforcement turned fatal in Minneapolis. The boycott isn't paranoia.
Con: Two million tickets already sold. Infantino's betting fans show up anyway. He's probably right.
Our read: The boycott already started. The question is whether Europeans make it a movement or a footnote.
Receipt of the Day
FIFA's 2018 US bid guarantees promised non-discriminatory fan access and streamlined visas. Those commitments won the hosting rights. Eight years later, four qualified nations face travel bans. The document reads like satire.
(NSS Sports)
Spit Take
Four of the 48 World Cup nations can't send fans to the US.
(The National)
Your Coffee Break Links (and water cooler chatter)
Infantino gave Trump a gold trophy and called him a "winner." Canada and Mexico got a group selfie.
FairSquare filed an ethics complaint against Infantino. FIFA's response: no comment.
Hotel revenues projected to jump 7-25% around match days. The fans who can get in will pay for it.
Mugshot Poll 📊
Blatter calling for a boycott is:
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Enjoy your Tuesday, keep it caffeinated.
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