German Politician Calls for Dramatic World Cup Boycott as Greenland Crisis Escalates
A German lawmaker has proposed that Germany's national football squad might skip the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, "as a final measure to make [President Donald] Trump reconsider his position on the Greenland matter."
Jürgen Hardt, serving as foreign policy spokesman for the Christian Democratic Union party, made this statement independently to BILD. Sports Minister Christiane Schenderline, also from the CDU, did not publicly endorse his position, stating that the German Football Federation (DFB) and FIFA, as "the governing bodies," should handle such inquiries.
Germany, a key NATO ally along with Denmark, which governs Greenland, has deployed military forces to the Arctic territory, joined by France and other European countries.
Trump has escalated his statements about incorporating Greenland into the United States, declaring that "we require Greenland for national security purposes" and threatening to implement harsher tariffs on countries "if they refuse to support [the Greenland initiative]."
During his interview with BILD, Hardt also noted that Trump has made it clearly apparent how "significant the World Cup is to him," and stated his "belief that we will achieve better mutual understanding within NATO concerning the Greenland situation."
A survey conducted by BILD prior to Trump's recent statements showed substantial backing for a German World Cup withdrawal, with 47% of Germans supporting it and only 35% opposing if the U.S. gained control of Greenland.
Germany secured their spot in the 2026 competition by finishing first in Group A of UEFA World Cup qualification and will face Curaçao, Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador in group play, with these fixtures scheduled in Houston and East Rutherford, New Jersey, plus Toronto, Canada.
Germany's High Demand for World Cup Tickets
Germany's High Demand for World Cup Tickets
Hardt's worries about the 2026 World Cup have not reduced enthusiasm for the competition in Germany. On Jan. 14, FIFA revealed it received more than 500 million ticket applications for the tournament, with Germany placing fourth among nations requesting match access, behind only the three hosting countries.
Nevertheless, no German group stage fixtures appeared among the most sought-after matches, which featured Mexico vs. South Korea, Mexico vs. South Africa, the Round of 32 encounter in Toronto and the World Cup championship game in New Jersey.
World Cup withdrawals have been rare. Nevertheless, Iran skipped the 2026 World Cup draw on Dec. 5, 2025, due to visa limitations for its representatives.
READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & ANALYSIS HERE
READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & ANALYSIS HERE
Ben Steiner is an American-Canadian journalist who brings in-depth experience, having covered the North American national teams, MLS, CPL, NWSL, NSL and Liga MX for prominent outlets, including MLSsoccer.com, CBC Sports, and OneSoccer.