Calls grow to drop US as 2026 World Cup co-host amid domestic unrest, foreign interference

A senior German football official has urged European nations to “seriously consider” boycotting the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico next summer.

Oke Gottlich, who serves as the president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli and is also a vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB), made the remarks during an interview with the German newspaper Hamburger Morgenpost on Sunday, stressing that the current geopolitical climate — particularly US President Donald Trump’s controversial foreign policy — has made the issue urgent.

“The time has come to seriously consider and discuss this,” Gottlich told the German newspaper, invoking comparisons to the Olympic boycotts of the 1980s.

“What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s? By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion,” he said.

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Gottlich further pointed to Trump’s push to assert US influence over Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark, and subsequent threats of tariffs against European states opposing the move, as evidence of a fracture in transatlantic relations that “undermines the spirit of global sporting cooperation.”

He also dismissed concerns that a boycott would unfairly impact players, including international stars from his own club.

“The life of a professional player is not worth more than the lives of countless people in various regions who are being directly or indirectly attacked or threatened by the World Cup host,” he said.

Gottlich also criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is widely seen as a close ally of Trump, accusing football’s leadership of applying double standards.

His remarks have reverberated beyond Germany, adding momentum to broader discussions within European football circles about the intersection of politics and sport.

However, not all leaders have endorsed the idea of a boycott. France’s sports minister has explicitly stated there is “no desire” to withdraw from the tournament, emphasizing that sport should remain separate from political disputes.

Meanwhile, the social media platform X has been flooded with reactions from users, many of whom are calling for a boycott.

In a post on X, Mihammad Safa, Diplomat and PVA Permanent Representative to the United Nations, condemned the recent actions of US federal immigration enforcement agents, calling for the cancellation of the World Cup.

Another user said “it’s not safe” to travel to the US, stressing that all European teams should boycott the World Cup.

Writer and journalist Roger McKenzie also wrote it is “Time for the world football community to stand up and boycott the FIFA World Cup.”

Dominic Hasek also wrote that the call to remove the World Cup from the US is gaining momentum both domestically and internationally due to Washington’s historical imperialist endeavors as well as the tense situation in the country.

Another user also called for boycotting the World Cup, saying the US should “look and feel hated and isolated just like they deserve.”

The 2026 World Cup is set to begin on June 11 and will be the first to feature an expanded 48-team format. The US will host the majority of matches, a factor that critics say raises questions about travel, visa access, and fan safety, given current policies affecting visitors from some regions.

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