Fifa president Sepp Blatter will not travel to Canada for the final of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday for “personal reasons”.
The 79-year-old Swiss had planned to attend the match in Vancouver, despite Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke pulling out of the opening ceremony.
Two criminal investigations into alleged Fifa corruption are ongoing.
Blatter’s lawyer, Richard Cullen, said Fifa senior vice-president Issa Hayatou would attend the match instead.
Fifa said Blatter – who is reportedly under investigation in the United States – and Valcke would remain at Fifa headquarters “due to their current commitments in Zurich”.
It will be the first time since he became president in 1998 that Blatter has not presented the trophy to the tournament winners.
In May, Blatter was elected for a fifth term in charge, but has since suggested he no longer has a mandate to lead the sport’s world governing body.
He says he has not resigned from his position and is thought to be considering standing for re-election at an emergency meeting of the executive committee in December.
Seven Fifa officials were arrested on 27 May following a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich.
They were among 14 officials and associates indicted by United States authorities on racketeering and bribery charges.
Swiss prosecutors have also begun a separate criminal investigation into how the rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were awarded.
BBC SPORTS
About the Author
