One of the ten vice presidents of the DFB - Germany's football federation - believes national teams should consider a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to the behaviors and actions of President Donald Trump. After Trump further alienated some of his closest allies and set the world on edge, Göttlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper that a boycott should be owed due consideration. But with recent political developments in the US coupled with criticism of the tournament - including high ticket prices and travel bans - Göttlich believes the US is deserving of scrutiny. That's something that really, really, really bothers me,' Göttlich said of the German federation's opposition to the previous World Cup host. 'The life of a professional player is not worth more than the lives of countless people in various regions who are being directly or indirectly attacked or threatened by the World Cup host,' he said.

Source: Express January 24, 2026 12:47 UTC