The German federal government has spoken out against boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. State Minister Christiane Schenderlein emphasized that sport should not be instrumentalized for foreign policy purposes. The debate is fueled by the policies of US President Donald Trump.
The German federal government has clearly positioned itself against boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. State Minister for Sport and Volunteering Christiane Schenderlein, a CDU politician, stated in an interview with the „Süddeutsche Zeitung“: „We do not support that.“ She reported that the federal cabinet had agreed on this line.
In justification, Schenderlein referred to Germany's foreign policy stance toward the USA. „Sport must not be instrumentalized for that,“ she said. She also emphasized that the World Cup will not be held exclusively in the USA, but also in Canada and Mexico, so a boycott would not solely affect the United States.
The debate arose in the context of conflicts between the USA and European NATO states, particularly due to Donald Trump's territorial claims on Greenland and escalations in immigration policy by agencies like ICE. There were voices from politics calling for a review of participation in the World Cup. St. Pauli club chief and DFB official Oke Göttlich advocated discussing a boycott before a cup match at Bayer Leverkusen on ZDF: „You can't just sweep a topic under the rug.“ He added: „Football doesn't work in the test tube of societal issues. I think it's right to at least have the debate.“ Göttlich was criticized by the DFB for his statements but emphasized the association's close coordination with the government and the need to examine whether „democracy-eroding tendencies should be given a sporting platform.“
Schenderlein recalled experiences from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wore a „One Love“ armband and the German national team covered their mouths. „That was not a good situation that arose,“ said the 44-year-old. Similarly, DFB captain Joshua Kimmich stated: „I will no longer participate in the political discussion.“ He referred to Qatar: „We saw that it is not effective if we players express ourselves too politically there.“
The German Football Association (DFB) also positioned itself against a boycott. Following a meeting last Friday, it stated: „Staying away is ‚not an issue at the moment.‘“ The association believes in the „connecting power of sports“ and wants to strengthen it, not prevent it.
