World Cup
German Football Vice-President Says Time Has Come to Consider 2026 World Cup Boycott
A German Football Association (DFB) official has said it is time to consider a boycott of the 2026 World Cup in the wake of United States President Donald Trump’s actions.
The US will host the world football’s showpiece event this summer, along with Canada and Mexico.
President Trump caused outrage among European leaders earlier this month by threatening to acquire Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark.
The 79-year-old threatened to impose tariffs on eight European countries – including Germany – who opposed his plan.
Trump has since rowed back on that threat, but tensions between European leaders and the US government remain high.
“I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely,” Oke Gottlich, a DFB vice-president, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper.
“For me, that time has definitely come.”
Of the 104 matches at this summer’s World Cup, 78 will be held in the US.
The French government said it is not currently in favour of a boycott, while the Danish Football Association said it is “aware of the current sensitive situation”.
Denmark will aim to qualify for the tournament via play-offs.
In making his argument, Gottlich referenced a US-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games following the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
“What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?” said Gottlich, who is also the president of Bundesliga club St Pauli.
“By my reckoning, the potential threat is greater now than it was then. We need to have this discussion.”
Germany were involved in a row with Fifa at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when world football’s governing body threatened players with a booking for wearing the OneLove armband during games.
The captains of seven European nations were set to wear the armband to promote diversity and inclusion.
Instead, Fifa brought forward its own ‘No Discrimination’ campaign, which had been due to start from the quarter-finals, and captains were permitted to wear a No Discrimination armband for the duration of the tournament.
Germany players covered their mouths during the team photograph before their World Cup opener against Japan “to convey the message that FIFA is silencing” teams, said the country’s then-manager Hansi Flick.
“Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice. We stand by our position,” said DFB at the time.
Gottlich added: “Qatar was too political for everyone and now we’re completely apolitical? That’s something that really, really, really bothers me.
“As organisations and society, we’re forgetting how to set taboos and boundaries, and how to defend values.
“Taboos are an essential part of our stance. Is a taboo crossed when someone threatens? Is a taboo crossed when someone attacks? When do people die?
“I would like to know from Donald Trump when he has reached his taboo, and I would like to know from [DFB president] Bernd Neuendorf and [Fifa president] Gianni Infantino.”
-BBC
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Belgium will play Tunisia in Brussels as a final warm-up fixture ahead of the World Cup finals in North America in June, the Belgian football association said on Friday.
They will host Tunisia, who are also World Cup-bound, on Saturday, June 6 at the King Baudouin Stadium before heading to the World Cup.
Belgium have Tunisia’s North African rivals Egypt in their World Cup group, as well as Iran and New Zealand and will play their three Group G matches in Seattle, Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Belgium have already arranged a friendly against Croatia on June 2 in Rijeka.
They will also play warm-up internationals against two of the World Cup’s host nations, the U.S. in Atlanta on March 28 and Mexico in Chicago on March 31.
-Reuters
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Algerian goalkeeper Luca Zidane will not miss any World Cup games despite being handed a two-game ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday.
The ban was confirmed by the Algerian Football Federation, and stems from incidents after Algeria’s 2-0 loss to Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal in Morocco on Jan. 10. Zidane, 27, will miss two games during the 2027 AFCON qualifiers that begin in September.
There had been concern that any ban might impact Zidane’s availability for Algeria’s opening World Cup matches against defending champion Argentina on June 16 and Jordan on June 22. Instead, the son of legendary France international Zinedine Zidane will be sidelined for key qualifying matches for the next continental campaign.
In addition to Luca Zidane’s ban, defender Rafik Belkhili was handed a four-game ban. Two of those games have been suspended, with the remaining two to be served during AFCON qualifying. The Algerian federation said it has already begun the appeal process after being levied with fines totaling $100,000 for the behavior of some fans, players and team officials.
Five Algerian players were shown yellow cards, and several confronted Senegalese referee Issa Sy after the match. Zidane was also seen shoving Nigeria midfielder Raphael Onyedika, while Belghali followed Sy down the tunnel.
“Following these decisions, the Algerian Football Federation immediately initiated the appeals process stipulated by the regulations in force to contest these sanctions,” the federation’s statement read. “The FAF will follow developments in this case very closely and reaffirms its commitment to defending the interests of Algerian football, in strict compliance with regulatory and institutional channels.”
The CAF is also investigating the incidents that led to more than a 15-minute delay in the final when several Senegal players walked off the pitch in protest of a penalty kick called in favor of Morocco. Following the delay, Morocco missed the penalty kick and Senegal won the game with a goal in extra time.
-Reuters
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Nigeria have submitted a petition to FIFA alleging the Democratic Republic of Congo fielded ineligible players in their African qualification play-off for next year’s World Cup, a federation (NFF) spokesperson said.
FIFA World Cup – CAF Qualifiers – Playoffs – Final – Nigeria v Democratic Republic of Congo – Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat, Morocco – November 16, 2025. Democratic Republic of Congo players line up during a penalty shootout REUTERS/Abdelmjid Rizkou
DR Congo beat Nigeria on penalties last month to keep alive their hopes of appearing at the tournament in North America, and are set to compete in an inter-confederation playoff in March where six teams will chase two places at the 48-team finals.
The NFF said several dual-nationality players had been cleared to play for DR Congo without meeting the required criteria.
“The Congolese rules say you cannot have dual nationality,” NFF general secretary Mohammed Sanusi told reporters.
“There are so many of them that have European passports, some of them French passports, some of them Dutch passports.
“FIFA regulations say once you have the passport of your country, you are eligible. As far as we are concerned, they are eligible that is why they are cleared by FIFA.
“But our contention is that FIFA was deceived into clearing them because it is not the responsibility of FIFA to make sure that the regulations of Congo are abided by.
“FIFA goes by its own regulations, and it was on the basis of what was presented to FIFA that they cleared them.
“But we are saying that it was fraudulent.”
DR Congo’s federation rejected the allegations.
“If you cannot win on the pitch, then do not try to win from the back door,” the Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) said in a social media post.
“The World Cup has to be played with dignity and confidence. Not with lawyers tricks. Bring it on.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.
The World Cup will in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Related Story: FIFA overturns three Malaysia matches amid player eligibility scandal
-Reuters
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