In an interview with “Bild”, Juergen Hardt said that canceling the World Cup would be the final step to “make Donald Trump come to his senses.”
Hardt, a long-time member of the Bundestag and adviser to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, noted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, organized jointly by Canada, Mexico and the United States, is of “particular importance” to the American president.
“Canceling the tournament would be a last resort to bring some sense to President Trump on the Greenland issue.” – said Juergen Hardt. At the same time, he expressed his belief that “in the case of Greenland, it is possible to reach a better security agreement within NATO.”
The politician positively assessed Germany's decision to send Bundeswehr soldiers to the island, calling these actions a “brave move.”
The World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico will start on June 11 and last until July 19, 2026. For the first time in history, 48 teams will take part in it. Germany has never boycotted the FIFA World Cup before.
Trump wants Greenland
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken in recent days about the need for the United States to take over Greenland, which formally belongs to Denmark. He speculated, among other things, that if the US does not take control of Greenland, China or Russia will do it. He rejected other solutions, such as increasing the presence of US troops there and the NATO mission on the island proposed by Germany. In a recent interview with the New York Times, he said the US may have to “choose” between Greenland and NATO.
In response to these announcements, several European countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France and the Netherlands announced that they were sending their troops to the island. The contingents consist of one to a dozen or so officers who take part in the Operation Arctic Endurance military exercises. They will last until Saturday.
