The World Cup of football, in danger of not being contested. Three European countries are discussing boycotting the summer competition
The soccer World Cup, hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, is increasingly mixed with politics, an intersection that FIFA and UEFA specifically forbid. More and more European countries are considering boycotting the North American event, following recent developments in relations with the United States.
Trump and Infantino were often shoulder to shoulder PHOTO EPA
Denmark is the nation leading the protests. Donald Trump's claims on Greenland (a territory owned by the Danish crown) have enraged public opinion. A recent poll conducted by the BT portal shows that 90% of Danes support a possible boycott of the World Cup.
The question was also echoed in neighboring Sweden, where a significant segment of consumers has long refrained from buying “Made in the USA” goods in response to tariffs and the lack of clarity about Trump's position on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The issue was raised in Germany by the vice-president of the Football Association, Oke Göttlich, the president of the club St. Pauli, band from the working-class district of Hamburg. In an article in the Hamburger Morgenpost, Göttlich wondered whether “the time has come to consider some concrete actions“.
These words come following the request of the fans of St. Pauli, who recently launched an appeal to FIFA demanding the long-awaited recognition of the Greenland Football Association. The initiative was also supported by some CDU politicians, but was blocked by Federal President Bernd Neuendorf, who had supported the German national team's human rights protest in Qatar.
There are also concerns about security during the competition after images circulated in recent days in Minneapolis of 3,000 ICE agents deployed in the Trump-ordered anti-immigration operation. It is unclear how the federal government plans to manage the (potentially huge) influx of fans from around the world to attend the World Cup.
In recent months, Washington has suspended or even denied tourist visas to citizens of several countries, including some that have qualified for the World Cup. This is the case of Iran, which has also been rocked by internal protests. And it's also not clear how Infantino's proposed “FIFA pass”, which allows fans to enter regardless of passport as long as they have a ticket, will be implemented.
The tense international climate, growing domestic scandals in the US and uncertainties over the granting of tourist visas seriously threaten to undermine the spirit of the World Cup. The idea of a boycott is gaining more and more momentum week by week.
