Berlin – Calls are mounting in Germany for a potential boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted across North america, amid escalating concerns over the political rhetoric of former U.S. President Donald Trump. German lawmakers are discussing a withdrawal from the tournament – a highly unusual step for the four-time World Cup champions – in response to Trump’s renewed discussion of acquiring Greenland and potential trade implications with the european Union. While the German government has indicated it will leave any final decision to sporting federations, the debate highlights the intersection of international politics and the world’s most popular sporting event.
Germany is weighing a potential boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by Canada, the United States, and Mexico, scheduled for June 11th to July 19th. The debate stems from concerns over potential actions by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The German federal government, however, has stated it will defer to sporting federations on the matter. “The federal government respects the autonomy of sport,” said Schenderlein, a member of the CDU, the conservative party led by Friedrich Merz. “Decisions regarding participation in major sporting events or boycotts are the sole responsibility of the responsible sports federations, not the political sphere.”
Growing unease in Germany, a traditional powerhouse in international football, has fueled calls for a boycott – and even cancellation – of the tournament in response to Trump’s recent rhetoric. “If Donald Trump carries out his threats regarding Greenland and triggers a trade war with the EU, it will be hard to imagine European countries participating in the World Cup,” influential conservative lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper on Tuesday.
Jürgen Hardt, another CDU member and the party’s foreign policy spokesperson, suggested to Bild that a “cancellation of the tournament” could be a “last resort to bring President Trump to reason.”
Calling for a “united response” from Europe, Social Democrat (SPD) lawmaker Sebastian Roloff told the Handelsblatt economic newspaper that considering withdrawing from the World Cup is an option.
A recent poll conducted by the Insa institute for Bild, surveying 1,000 people between Thursday and Friday, revealed that nearly half of Germans (47%) would support a boycott of the World Cup should Washington effectively annex Greenland.
Over a third (35%) remain opposed. Germany, a four-time World Cup champion, hasn’t missed the tournament since the immediate post-World War II era (1950). Donald Trump has a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who presented him with a newly created FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw in December.
