Hamburg: A German Football Association (DFB) official has said it is time to consider a boycott of the 2026 World Cup in the wake of United States President Donald Trump's actions. The US will host world football's showpiece event this summer, along with Canada and Mexico. President Trump caused outrage among European leaders earlier this month by threatening to acquire Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. The 79-year-old threatened to impose tariffs on eight European countries - including Germany - who opposed his plan. Trump has since rowed back on that threat, but tensions between European leaders and the US government remain high.
According to Ghana Web, Oke Gottlich, a DFB vice-president, expressed his concerns in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper, stating, "I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely. For me, that time has definitely come." The French government said it is not currently in favour of a boycott, while the Danish Football Association acknowledged awareness of the "current sensitive situation." Denmark will aim to qualify for the tournament via play-offs.
In his argument, Gottlich referenced a US-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games following the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. "What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?" Gottlich questioned, emphasizing, "By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion."
Germany had previously been involved in a dispute with Fifa during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when the governing body threatened players with a booking for wearing the OneLove armband to promote diversity and inclusion. Instead, Fifa initiated its 'No Discrimination' campaign, allowing captains to wear a No Discrimination armband for the tournament's duration. Germany's players covered their mouths during the team photograph before their World Cup opener against Japan to protest what they perceived as Fifa's attempt to silence teams.
Gottlich further expressed his discontent, stating, "Qatar was too political for everyone and now we're completely apolitical? That's something that really, really, really bothers me. As organisations and society, we're forgetting how to set taboos and boundaries, and how to defend values. Taboos are an essential part of our stance. Is a taboo crossed when someone threatens? Is a taboo crossed when someone attacks? When people die? I would like to know from Donald Trump when he has reached his taboo, and I would like to know from [DFB president] Bernd Neuendorf and [Fifa president] Gianni Infantino."