Blatter Will Attend the World Cup. 'It Will Be a Sporting and Diplomatic Mission.'

MOSCOW — Sepp Blatter, the disgraced former president of FIFA whose dramatic fall from power corresponded with revelations of widespread corruption among the organization’s top officials, will attend the World Cup in Russia as a personal guest of President Vladimir Putin.

Blatter, who is serving a six-year ban from all soccer-related activities after an investigation into ethical breaches during his nearly 20-year presidency, will arrive here on or around June 20, he said in a telephone interview.