SHAH ALAM – England and Scotland are being urged to seriously consider boycotting this summer’s World Cup following a series of controversial actions by United States President Donald Trump.
The call was spearheaded by a senior German football official ahead of the prestigious tournament, which is set to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The geopolitical friction stems from Trump’s recent attempts to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory under the protection of Denmark, which sparked widespread condemnation across Europe.
Trump intensified tensions earlier this month by refusing to rule out the use of military force to annex the territory, while simultaneously threatening to impose trade tariffs on eight European countries, including Germany, that opposed the move.
Although he recently walked back the tariff threat during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, diplomatic relations remain at an all-time low.
Bundesliga club St Pauli’ President Oke Göttlich and one of the ten vice-presidents of the German Football Association (DFB) stressed that discussions on a possible boycott must be held among participating nations.
“I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this concretely. For me, that time has definitely come,” Göttlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost.
He drew parallels to the 1980 Olympic Games boycott, which was a response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
“By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion,” he added.
Göttlich also highlighted what he perceived as double standards within the football world, recalling the heavy criticism directed at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“Qatar was considered too political for everyone, but are we now completely apolitical? That is something that deeply troubles me,” he said, questioning why global authorities are not holding the US administration to similar standards.
Beyond the Greenland dispute, enthusiasm for the tournament has been dampened by skyrocketing ticket prices and travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration.
These visa policies have prevented supporters from several qualified nations from entering the United States, raising concerns about the inclusivity of the global event.
Göttlich’s remarks follow comments from French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari, who, while stating there is currently no intention to boycott, declined to rule out the possibility should tensions escalate further.
“At the moment, there is no desire from the ministry to boycott this major, much-anticipated competition. However, I am not prejudging what might happen,” she stated.
England and Scotland have already secured their places in the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on June 11.
They could potentially be joined by the Republic of Ireland, as well as either Wales or Northern Ireland, depending on final play-off results.