A senior German Football Association DFB official has said discussions about a possible boycott of the 2026 World Cup should now be taken seriously following recent actions by United States President Donald Trump.
The United States is set to co host the tournament this summer alongside Canada and Mexico.
Oke Gottlich, a DFB vice president, said rising political tensions between European leaders and the US government meant football authorities could no longer ignore the situation.
“I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely,” Gottlich told Hamburger Morgenpost. “For me, that time has definitely come.”
President Trump sparked anger among European leaders earlier this month after threatening to acquire Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. The 79 year old also threatened tariffs on eight European countries, including Germany, that opposed the plan.
Although Trump later rowed back on the tariff threat, diplomatic tensions remain.
France has said it is not currently in favour of a boycott, while the Danish Football Association said it is “aware of the current sensitive situation”. Denmark is aiming to qualify for the World Cup through play offs.
Gottlich, who is also president of Bundesliga club St Pauli, compared the current situation to the US led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
“What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?” he said. “By my reckoning the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.”
Germany previously clashed with Fifa at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after players were threatened with bookings for wearing the OneLove armband promoting diversity and inclusion.
After Fifa introduced its own No Discrimination campaign, German players covered their mouths during the team photograph before their opener against Japan.
The gesture was intended “to convey the message that Fifa is silencing” teams, then coach Hansi Flick said.
“Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position,” the DFB said at the time.
Reflecting on that episode, Gottlich said: “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.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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