Germany DFB official urges 2026 World Cup boycott talks amid Donald Trump tensions

January 25, 2026 • 0 • min read

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Germany DFB official urges 2026 World Cup boycott talks amid Donald Trump tensions

A senior German Football Association (DFB) official has said the time has come to seriously discuss a potential boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing growing political tensions involving US President Donald Trump.

The expanded 48-team tournament will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the US set to stage the majority of matches, including the final, both semi-finals and most knockout fixtures.

DFB chief questions Germany's participation

Oke Göttlich, DFB vice-president and president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli, has openly questioned whether Germany should take part in the tournament under the current political climate.

Speaking to Hamburger Morgenpost, Göttlich said:

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 referenced historical sporting boycotts, including the US-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

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.

Political flashpoint surrounding 2026 World Cup

Tensions between the US and parts of Europe have escalated following Trump's controversial remarks and policy positions, including comments about acquiring Greenland - an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark - and threats of tariffs against European nations that opposed his stance.

Those developments have sparked political debate across Europe about whether participation in a US-hosted World Cup would amount to overlooking wider geopolitical concerns.

Göttlich also criticised what he sees as inconsistency in football's moral stance.

[The 2022 World Cup in] 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.

He added that football authorities must define where their limits lie.

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.

Mixed response across Europe

Politicians and sporting figures in several European nations have floated the idea of a boycott, though official positions remain cautious.

France has stated it is not currently in favour of a withdrawal.

Sports minister Marina Ferrari said:

As it stands now, there is no desire from the ministry for a boycott of this great competition.

I am one who believes in keeping sport separate [from politics]. The World Cup is an extremely important moment for those who love sport.

The Danish FA has acknowledged the "sensitive situation."

Discussions have also surfaced in the Netherlands and the UK, where political voices have urged action.

However, history suggests resistance within football bodies themselves.

Ahead of the controversial 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Germany's national team protested human rights issues, yet the DFB ultimately ruled out a boycott.

Germany's 2026 World Cup fixtures

As it stands, Germany are scheduled to begin their 2026 campaign in Houston against Curaçao.

They are also set to face Ivory Coast in Toronto and Ecuador in the New York/New Jersey.

With the United States hosting 79 of the 104 matches, avoiding US venues would be virtually impossible without withdrawing from the tournament entirely.

Sport vs politics debate reignited

The situation reignites the long-running debate over whether sport can, or should, remain separate from politics.

For critics, participation risks appearing to legitimise controversial political leadership.

For others, football should remain a unifying global event beyond government disputes.

For now, Göttlich's remarks do not represent official DFB policy, but they mark one of the strongest calls yet from within a major European football federation to consider a 2026 World Cup boycott.

As geopolitical tensions continue to shape international relations, pressure on football's governing bodies is unlikely to ease.

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