A senior official of the German Football Association (DFB) has called for concrete discussions on a possible boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup over growing political tensions involving the United States.
The tournament will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, with the United States scheduled to stage 78 of the 104 matches.
DFB vice-president Oke Göttlich said relations between the US and several European countries had deteriorated following controversial actions by President Donald Trump, including threats to acquire Greenland from Denmark and impose tariffs on European nations, Germany included.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Göttlich said the time had come to seriously debate a boycott, arguing that current global tensions pose a greater threat than those that led to the US-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games.
While France has ruled out supporting a boycott for now, Denmark’s Football Association said it is monitoring the “sensitive situation” as the country hopes to qualify for the tournament.
Göttlich also referenced Germany’s standoff with FIFA at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar over political expression, questioning football’s willingness to defend values consistently.
He urged political leaders, the DFB and FIFA to clearly define the boundaries between sport and politics.
