In a surprising move, a senior German Football Association (DFB) official has suggested it is time to consider boycotting the 2026 World Cup, which is set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Oke Gottlich, a DFB vice-president and president of Bundesliga club St Pauli, believes the potential threats posed by US President Donald Trump’s policies warrant serious discussions about such drastic action.
Gottlich’s comments come in the wake of the ongoing tensions between European leaders and the US government. Earlier this month, President Trump caused outrage by threatening to impose tariffs on several European countries, including Germany, over their opposition to his plans to acquire Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. While Trump has since rowed back on those threats, the damage to transatlantic relations appears to be lasting.
“I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely,” Gottlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper. “For me, that time has definitely come.” He drew parallels to the US-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, arguing that the current “potential threat is greater now than it was then.”
The 2026 World Cup will see 78 of the 104 matches played in the United States, with the remaining games taking place in Canada and Mexico. While the French government has stated it is not currently in favour of a boycott, the Danish Football Association has acknowledged the “sensitive situation” and said it will aim to qualify for the tournament via the play-offs.
Germany has already been involved in a row with FIFA at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when the governing body threatened players with bookings for wearing the “OneLove” armband to promote diversity and inclusion. In response, German players covered their mouths during the team photograph before their opening match against Japan “to convey the message that FIFA is silencing” them.
Gottlich expressed his frustration with the DFB and FIFA’s handling of the situation in Qatar, stating, “Qatar was too political for everyone and now we’re completely apolitical? That’s something that really, really, really bothers me.” He argued that as organizations and society, “we’re forgetting how to set taboos and boundaries, and how to defend values.”
The calls for a potential World Cup boycott come at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and growing concerns over the influence of authoritarian regimes on the global sporting landscape. As the 2026 tournament approaches, it remains to be seen whether the DFB and other European football associations will heed Gottlich’s warning and seriously consider such a drastic course of action.
