The 2026 World Cup is just months away as the United States — alongside Canada and Mexico — is preparing to host soccer’s foremost competition. However, German soccer federation executive Oke Göttlich is calling for talks about a boycott amidst U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent actions.
Trump as stirred some outrage in Europe recently with his insistence on acquiring Greenland, a territory currently owned by Denmark. Trump has further strained relations with Europe as well by threatening to impose tariffs on eight European nations in his effort to pursue Greenland.
‘I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely,’ Göttlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper. ‘For me, that time has definitely come.’
The United States is scheduled to host 78 of the World Cup’s 104 total matches. Here’s how Göttlich’s comments could impact the upcoming tournament:
Are others in favor of a boycott?
Not currently.
French sport minister Marina Ferrari said earlier this week that they were not considering a boycott, but did not rule the possibility out entirely if the situation with Greenland escalates. ‘At the moment we are speaking, there is no desire from the ministry to boycott this major, much-anticipated competition,’ Ferrari commented on Tuesday. ‘That said, I am not prejudging what might happen.’
Göttlich compares potential boycott to U.S.’s 1980 Olympics boycott
There has been a boycott of the World Cup before. In 1980, the United States boycotted the Olympics in the Soviet Union after the country invaded Afghanistan.
Göttlich claimed, ‘By my reckoning the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.’
The Germans were also displeased about 2022 World Cup host Qatar.
‘Qatar was too political for everyone and now we’re completely apolitical? That’s something that really, really, really bothers me.’ He continued, ‘As organizations and society, we’re forgetting how to set taboos and boundaries, and how to defend values.’
When is the 2026 World Cup scheduled to start?
The 2026 World Cup is set to begin on June 11 with two Group A matches. Mexico will take on South Africa at 3 p.m. ET, and South Korea’s opponent has yet to be determined for their 10 p.m. match.
The United States’ first game will be on June 12, a match against Paraguay that is set to start at 9 p.m. ET.