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Germany’s soccer federation has definitively ruled out a boycott of the upcoming World Cup, despite internal pressure to send a strong message regarding the actions of Donald Trump.
The German Soccer Association (DFB) affirmed its commitment to the tournament, stating: “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.” This statement was issued late on Friday.
The DFB’s executive committee convened to discuss the possibility of boycotting the tournament, which is set to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This option was initially put forward last week by DFB vice president Oke Göttlich.
Mr Göttlich, who also serves as president of Bundesliga club St. Pauli, had cited recent actions and statements by Mr Trump, suggesting it was time to “seriously consider” a boycott.
However, in what appears to be a direct rebuke to Mr Göttlich, the DFB declared that “debates on sports policy should be conducted internally and not in public.”
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Germany won the World Cup in 2014 and will be at this year’s tournament (PA Archive)
The federation confirmed that a boycott “is not currently under consideration,” adding that the DFB is actively “in contact with representatives from politics, security, business, and sports in preparation for the tournament” scheduled from 11 June to 19 July.
Mr Trump’s policies have previously caused significant discord in Europe, notably with his bid to acquire Greenland and threats of tariffs against European nations that opposed it.
Furthermore, US actions in Venezuela and the handling of domestic protests in American cities have also sparked international concern.
Last week, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter advised fans to avoid the tournament.
Supporters have already voiced concerns over high ticket prices, while potential travel bans imposed by the Trump administration could prevent fans from certain competing nations from attending.
Despite these issues, Germany’s national team will participate. The DFB concluded: “We want to compete fairly against the other qualified teams next summer.
“And we want fans worldwide to celebrate a peaceful festival of football in the stadiums and at fan zones — just as we experienced at the 2024 European Championship in our own country.”