A senior official from the German Football Association has called for discussions on boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing US President Donald Trump's controversial attempt to acquire Greenland. The proposal comes amid heightened tensions following Trump's threats of tariffs on opposing European nations, including Germany. While other countries express caution, the remarks highlight growing concerns about the tournament's hosting by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to feature an expanded field of 48 teams across 104 matches, will see the United States host 78 of those games, including the final and most knockout stages. This joint event with Canada and Mexico has already qualified 42 nations, including Germany and France, while Denmark aims for a playoff spot.
Tensions escalated earlier this month when President Trump threatened to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory controlled by Denmark, prompting outrage from European leaders. He warned of imposing tariffs on eight countries, including Germany, that opposed the plan, though he later backed off the threat amid talks of a 'framework for a future deal.'
Oke Gottlich, vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB) and president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper: "I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely. For me, that time has definitely come."
Gottlich drew parallels to the US-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, stating: "What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s? By my reckoning the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion."
He criticized the shift toward apolitical stances in football, referencing Germany's 2022 World Cup protest in Qatar over FIFA's restrictions on the OneLove armband, where players covered their mouths to protest being 'silenced.' Gottlich questioned boundaries on political actions, asking when a 'taboo' is crossed by threats or attacks.
Responses vary: The French government opposes a boycott for now, and the Danish Football Association acknowledges the 'sensitive situation.' Calls for boycotts have also surfaced in the UK, Netherlands, and for England and Scotland, amid reports of travel bans complicating ticket access. Germany's campaign includes matches against Curacao in Houston, Ivory Coast in Toronto, and Ecuador in New York/New Jersey.
Despite Trump's recent FIFA Peace Prize, his actions have fueled debate on the tournament's political implications.
