In Germany, a debate is raging over whether the country should boycott the 2026 Football World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico due to US President Donald Trump's policies. Politicians voice concerns about visa restrictions and violence by US authorities, while football officials criticize the discussion as premature. The decision lies with sports associations, not politics.
The debate over a potential boycott of the 2026 Football World Cup was sparked by US President Donald Trump's controversial immigration policies, including tightened visa rules and deadly incidents by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), such as the recent shooting of a nurse in Minneapolis. Greens MP Boris Mijatovic called for a strategy to protect German fans and officials. "The federal government should present a reliable strategy to protect German fans and officials during entry and stay at the World Cup," he told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
Left Party parliamentary group leader Sören Pellmann expressed concerns for fans facing arrests and deportations but deemed a boycott ineffective: "A boycott does not provide the solution," he emphasized to RND. CDU/CSU spokesperson Stephan Mayer rejected a boycott: "Politics has many suitable instruments to criticize the behavior of the US government – a World Cup boycott undoubtedly does not belong to them." AfD deputy Jörn König took a similar stance: "We firmly reject a boycott of the Football World Cup. From our perspective, athletes must not suffer under politics."
State Minister Christiane Schenderlein in the Chancellery stressed that decisions rest with associations like the DFB and FIFA, which the federal government will accept. SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf called a boycott "rather something for the gallery."
At the German Football League (DFL) New Year's reception in Frankfurt am Main, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and DFL President Hans-Joachim Watzke criticized the debate as inappropriate. Neuendorf rebuffed the initiative by DFB Vice President Oke Göttlich, who demanded discussion. "Football must be able to withstand that the topic is discussed," Göttlich said. Watzke: "From my perspective, this is completely out of place right now." Bayern executive Jan-Christian Dreesen recalled the 2018 World Cup in Russia despite geopolitical tensions and advocated separating sport from politics.
The debate may continue to occupy the DFB but remains limited to individual voices for now.
