By Peter Omopo
The German Football Federation (DFB) has ruled out any plans to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite internal calls to use the tournament to send a political message to United States President Donald Trump.
In a statement issued late on Friday, the federation said it believes in the unifying power of sport and the global influence of the World Cup, stressing that its objective is to strengthen that role rather than undermine it.
“We believe in the unifying power of sport and the global impact that a FIFA World Cup can have. Our goal is to strengthen this positive force – not to prevent it,” the DFB said.
The federation confirmed that its executive committee recently met to discuss the possibility of a boycott of the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. The proposal was first raised last week by DFB Vice President Oke Göttlich, who also serves as president of Bundesliga club St Pauli.
Göttlich had suggested that Germany should “seriously consider” a boycott in response to President Trump’s recent actions and statements, which have generated controversy both domestically and internationally.
However, the DFB appeared to distance itself from the proposal, noting that “debates on sports policy should be conducted internally and not in public.” The federation added that a boycott “is not currently under consideration.”
According to the DFB, preparations for the tournament are ongoing, with the body maintaining contact with representatives from politics, security, business and sport ahead of the World Cup.
President Trump has faced criticism in Europe following a takeover bid for Greenland and threats to impose tariffs on European countries opposed to the move. Concerns have also been raised over US actions in Venezuela and its handling of protests in several American cities.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter recently advised fans to stay away from the 2026 World Cup. However, during his tenure, Blatter opposed calls to boycott the 2018 World Cup in Russia over concerns linked to the Ukraine crisis, insisting at the time that football should not be boycotted in any country.
Ahead of the 2026 tournament, concerns have also been raised about high ticket prices, while travel bans introduced by the Trump administration could prevent fans from some participating nations from attending matches.
Despite the debate, Germany has confirmed its intention to take part in the competition.
“We want to compete fairly against the other qualified teams next summer,” the DFB said. “And we want fans worldwide to celebrate a peaceful festival of football in the stadiums and fan zones, just as we experienced at the 2024 European Championship in our own country.”
Germany won the World Cup in 2014 and will be aiming to add to its record haul when the tournament kicks off next year.
