In language reflective of FIFA and Gianni Infantino, the DFB said in a statement: “We believe in the unifying power of sport and the global impact that a FIFA World Cup can have. Our aim is to enhance this positive force – not to prevent it.”
“A boycott of the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada is currently not a problem, as was already publicly explained by DFB President Bernd Neuendorf. The DFB is in exchange with representatives from politics, security, business and sports in preparation for the tournament.”
Last week, Neuendorf rejected the idea of a boycott, saying Göttlich was still new to the German Football Association and that a debate was “badly timed”. In December, Neuendorf, a FIFA council member who earns $250,000 a year for his role, had also defended FIFA’s peace prize, which was presented to Trump during the World Cup draw, by pointing to the unifying force he said football and FIFA provide. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended Trump and the politics of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, media and politicians in Germany debated boycotting the event due to the host country’s treatment of migrant workers, but the DFB also ruled out a boycott at the time. During the tournament, the German team posed with their hands over their mouths before the match in Japan to protest against FIFA, which threatened sanctions against players who wore armbands in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
After the 2022 Gulf tournament, Germany, led by Neuendorf, has refrained from taking principled positions – neither on the human rights issues related to the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia nor on a possible boycott of the 2026 World Cup in the US.
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