‘No desire’ for World Cup boycott over Greenland

According to the French sports minister, the government is not currently opposed to boycotting the World Cup this summer due to US President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland.

Trump has stated that he may impose tariffs on France in addition to other eight European nations because it opposes his request to annex Denmark’s autonomous territory.

Marina Ferrari stated that the ministry does not want to boycott this important competition as it stands right now.

“As of right now, I won’t anticipate what might occur, but I have heard voices from a number of political parties.”

I “believe in separating sport from politics,” I say. For those who enjoy sports, the World Cup is a very significant occasion.

Before Trump said on Wednesday that he wanted “immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland for “national security reasons, but that he “won’t use force,” he said. His entanglement with European allies has gotten worse with his pursuit of the mineral-rich Arctic territory.

French left-wing politician Éric Coquerel stated earlier this week that the country should think about dropping out of the World Cup because of this.

If Denmark’s team qualifies via play-offs, it might be able to participate in the tournament, which will see 78 of the 104 matches played in the US.

Danish Football Association CEO Erik Brogger Rasmussen stated in a statement to BBC Sport: “We are, of course, aware of the current sensitive situation.

At the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, Fifa President Gianni Infantino announced that Trump had “played a pivotal role” in bringing an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestine last month. Football Supporters Europe and advocates for human rights criticize the controversial move.

In a motion sent to the UK Parliament by twenty-six politicians from the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and Plaid Cymru, the US should consider extinguing its presence from significant international competitions due to its foreign policy.

In a time of geopolitical conflict, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry expressed hope that the upcoming Winter Games in Italy will show how “unifying” sport can be.

At the 6 February ceremony marking the US Games’ opening ceremony, US vice-president JD Vance is scheduled to lead the US delegation.

At a media briefing on Wednesday, Coventry said, “We will work extremely hard to protect the Olympic Games and the platform that the Olympic Games has.”

“You’re going to have over 90 national Olympic committees participating, all showing respect for one another, all understanding one another, and a bond because they’ve all taken their own paths to success, and those haven’t been smooth paths.” You go through ups and downs as an athlete, which is amazing, given the unifying effect it has. We need to make sure we are protecting those values, especially in today’s world.

Los Angeles will host the upcoming Summer Olympics in the US in 2028.

Despite concerns about the polarized political climate in the US under Trump, Coventry claimed that all the discussions with the organizers have been “very positive” to date.

She also acknowledged that she has not yet established formal contact with Trump regarding the Games’ preparations.

A welcoming World Cup has been promised by US authorities. However, the European Democratic Party (EDP) has warned that if safety standards are not forthcoming, it may ask national football associations to consider withdrawing from the competition.