European nations are increasingly calling for a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico, citing recent U.S. policies that have sparked international concerns.
The calls for action have grown significantly since January, with European officials and public figures expressing deep unease over actions taken by former President Donald Trump regarding Venezuela and Greenland, as well as incidents involving immigration enforcement in Minneapolis where two individuals were shot by police officers during separate events.
Dutch television personality Theun van de Keuken has launched a petition urging Dutch authorities to withdraw from the tournament, amassing over 140,000 signatures. The petition states: “We do not want our football players to indirectly support Trump’s policy of violent terrorism against innocent immigrants, regardless of whether they have an American passport or not.”
French leftist politician Eric Coquerel has also joined the movement for a boycott, while renowned French football coach Claude Le Roy, who has led multiple African national teams, criticized the U.S. president’s reduction in humanitarian aid to Africa as a reason why the White House leader “does not deserve” the prestige of the World Cup.
On January 27, former FIFA President Joseph Blatter endorsed calls for a boycott of the tournament matches held in the United States. He supported the initiative by Swiss lawyer and anti-corruption expert Mark Pit, who previously led the Independent FIFA Reform Management Committee.
Additionally, on January 20, Oke Gottlich, president of German football club St. Pauli and member of the Bundesliga executive board, called for a boycott due to U.S. threats against Greenland. French football veteran Claude Le Roy reiterated concerns about the situation, stressing that discussions on a potential boycott should be held.
The parliamentary representative of Germany’s Christian Democratic and Christian Social Unions (CDU/CSU), Jurgen Hardt, had proposed a boycott as early as January 16.
