January 27 – German Football Association (DFB) President Bernd Neuendorf has ruled out a German boycott of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Oke Göttlich, DFB board member and St Pauli President, had brought up discussions of a boycott in publicised comments over the weekend, with Neuendorf offering a staunch response to the suggestion.
“I don’t think this is a major debate at all,” Neuendorf said, “because I believe we at the DFB are very much in agreement that we consider this debate completely misguided at this point.
“It’s a statement from a single representative, indeed from the Executive Committee. This colleague hasn’t been with us for very long, but as a rule, we discuss these issues within the committees first and then form an opinion.
“Unfortunately, he’s jumped the gun with this topic. We will discuss it in the Executive Committee this week. But I believe, based on everything I’ve heard and also my personal opinion, it’s clear that this debate is ill-timed and not relevant for us.”
Göttlich had first raised the issue in an interview with a local newspaper last week.
“Personally, I would advise against going,” he reiterated in comments made to Sportschau, “given the current situation in the country. And it’s not FC St. Pauli and Oke Göttlich who are playing politics here; it’s Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump who are playing politics, as they’ve already put on a propaganda show with the Peace Prize.”
The policies and actions of the U.S. government of Donald Trump have escalated tensions with Europe and prompted a clamour of voices to consider boycotting the global finals which the U.S., Mexico and Canada will host this summer.
Trump has threatened to take control of Greenland, a territory of Denmark; and to annex co-host Canada. The actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have created a climate of fear in U.S. states.
Currently, the German government’s travel advise urges its citizens to exercise caution in the U.S.. Neuendorf, who also defended FIFA’s Peace Prize, does not see this as a problem.
“That’s something every fan has to decide for themselves first,” said the DFB President. “Germany is among the top countries (purchasing tickets). So there’s clearly a great deal of interest from German fans to see this tournament.
“At this point, I think everyone can assess that for themselves with the support of the German government. They are much closer to the situation and able to make a reliable assessment. We at the DFB (German Football Association) are preparing for a tournament, both in sporting and organisational terms. The entire political situation we’re experiencing now needs to be evaluated by politicians, who then issue recommendations to people who want to travel to the USA.”
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at [email protected]