Calls for Boycott of 2026 World Cup Amidst Political Tensions

Oke Gottlich, a prominent figure in the German Football Association (DFB) and president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli, has voiced the need to contemplate a boycott of the 2026 World Cup in light of the political climate influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The upcoming World Cup, set to take place this summer, will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Recent controversial statements made by President Trump, particularly his threats to acquire Greenland, have sparked significant backlash among European leaders.

In response to opposition from several European nations, including Germany, Trump also suggested imposing tariffs, although he has since retracted that threat. Nonetheless, tensions between the U.S. and European governments continue to escalate.

In an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost, Gottlich remarked, “I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely. For me, that time has definitely come.” He alluded to past boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s, questioning the justifications for those actions and suggesting that the current geopolitical landscape presents an even greater threat.

While the French government has indicated a lack of interest in a boycott, the Danish Football Association has acknowledged the sensitive context surrounding the situation as they strive to qualify for the tournament.

Gottlich highlighted the political complexities of the previous World Cup in Qatar, where the DFB faced conflict with FIFA over players wearing the OneLove armband to promote diversity and inclusion. Despite initial plans for the captains of seven European nations to wear the armband, FIFA’s intervention led to the introduction of its own ‘No Discrimination’ campaign instead.

Reflecting on these events, Gottlich expressed concern over the current apolitical stance in the face of significant political issues, stating, “As organizations and society, we’re forgetting how to set taboos and boundaries, and how to defend values.”

He urges for clarity on how far one must be threatened before action is warranted, asking, “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.”