Of the 104 matches at this summer's World Cup, 78 will be held in the US. In making his argument, Gottlich referenced a US-led boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games following the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. 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. 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. That's something that really, really, really bothers me.

Source: BBC January 24, 2026 17:56 UTC