German Official Calls for World Cup Boycott Over Trump Policies

Oke Göttlich, a vice president of the German Football Association (DFB) and president of Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli, has publicly called for Germany and other nations to consider boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to be hosted primarily in the United States.

Göttlich’s demand, made in an interview, is a direct response to recent actions by U.S. President Donald Trump, including threats to impose tariffs on European allies and his controversial push to acquire Greenland from Denmark.

He argues that the sports world must defend its values and set political “taboos,” comparing the situation to the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

While the French government has stated it does not currently support a boycott and the Danish Football Association acknowledged the “sensitive situation,” Göttlich’s stance reignites debates about politics in sports, reminiscent of the conflict at the 2022 Qatar World Cup when certain Western culture-related acts were banned.