As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws near, fierce discussions are underway among German political and football circles over whether to boycott the tournament hosted by the United States. The debate centers on how to respond to US President Donald Trump’s recently alleged threatening foreign policies targeting Europe, as well as concerns over the country’s domestic political environment and human rights situation.
Oke Göttlich, Chairman of FC St. Pauli and Member of the DFB Executive Board, stated publicly, "It is indeed a valid question whether Europeans should participate in a tournament held in a country that is indirectly, and may soon be directly, attacking Europe." Although the German Football Association (DFB) has officially declined to comment on the matter, several political figures have not shied away from this sensitive topic.
Rodrich Kiesewetter, a foreign policy expert from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told the media, "If US President (Trump) is serious about his controversial policies, it is almost unthinkable for European countries to take part in the World Cup." Jürgen Hardt, foreign policy spokesperson for the CDU parliamentary group, even suggested that boycotting the tournament could be used as a "last resort" to "sober Trump up".
Economist Lucas Guttenberg argued that a boycott might precisely strike at Trump’s "vanity", thereby exerting political influence. According to the latest opinion poll, 47% of Germans support boycotting the World Cup if Trump actually pushes ahead with his plan to annex Greenland.
Tina Winkelmann, a member of the Green Party Sports Committee, pointed out that many of Trump’s policies run counter to "the core values of sports, such as openness, respect, anti-discrimination and safety for all". Another Green Party politician, Boris Mijatovic, emphasized that fan safety "cannot be guaranteed" under the Trump administration.
However, Christian Schindlein (CDU), the State Secretary for Sports, said that the decision to participate in or boycott the tournament should be made independently by the relevant sports federations, rather than being led by the government. Aydan Özoğuz (SPD), Chair of the Sports Committee, also acknowledged that against the backdrop of "possible US extortion against Europe", it would be difficult to enjoy football matches with peace of mind, but she also stressed the "autonomy of sports".
At present, the possibility of an actual sports boycott by the German national team, managed by Julian Nagelsmann, and other top European teams remains low. Nevertheless, the political calls for a boycott and the possibility of fans voluntarily staying away from the stadiums cannot be ruled out. In other European countries such as the UK, some lawmakers have jointly demanded that FIFA exclude the US team from the World Cup, though such proposals are currently only symbolic.
