Zwelinzima Vavi urges support for boycott of US-hosted FIFA World Cup

South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says the call to boycott a FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States must be supported, arguing that it exposes what he describes as FIFA’s “deep hypocrisy” and selective application of human rights principles.

Vavi says backing the boycott is necessary to challenge FIFA under the leadership of its president, Gianni Infantino, whom he accuses of abandoning the organisation’s stated values when dealing with powerful states.

“The call to boycott a US-hosted FIFA World Cup must be supported because it exposes the deep hypocrisy and selective morality of FIFA under the leadership of its president, Gianni Infantino,” Vavi said.

He contrasted FIFA’s swift decision to ban Russia from international football following its invasion of Ukraine with what he called the organisation’s silence on the conduct of the United States.

“FIFA acted with extraordinary speed to ban Russia, suddenly declaring that football cannot be separated from war, politics, and violations of international law,” he said.

“Yet when it comes to the United States, those principles are abandoned without shame.”

Vavi accused the US, particularly under former president Donald Trump, of enabling serious violations of international law and humanitarian norms, including in Palestine.

“Under Donald Trump, the US has been central to enabling mass slaughter, abetting genocide, and using starvation of children as a weapon to force parents off their ancestral land, particularly in Palestine,” he said.

He also criticised FIFA for what he described as its praise of Trump, saying this undermined the suffering of civilians affected by war and sanctions.

“Instead of accountability, Trump was cynically praised as a man of ‘peace’, a grotesque insult to millions of victims of war, sanctions, and occupation,” Vavi said.

The former Cosatu general secretary further argued that hosting the World Cup in the United States would exclude large numbers of fans due to restrictive visa and immigration policies.

“A World Cup hosted in the United States will exclude millions of football supporters through racist visa regimes, political repression, and fear,” he said.

Vavi contrasted this with South Africa’s hosting record, saying the country offers an inclusive alternative.

“South Africa has proven infrastructure, a successful World Cup legacy, and an inclusive approach where no football fan is barred on the basis of nationality, religion, or political belief,” he said.

He concluded by calling for sustained pressure on FIFA, saying the global football community must resist what he described as political double standards.

“Football belongs to the people of the world, not to war-makers and hypocrites. FIFA must be challenged, exposed, and resisted,” Vavi said.

IOL News