France Unlikely to Boycott 2026 World Cup Amid US-Greenland Tensions
The French government has ruled out boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States along with Canada and Mexico. The decision comes amid escalating tensions between France and the US over Donald Trump's threat to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari made it clear that her ministry is not in favor of boycotting the tournament, citing her commitment to keeping sports separate from politics. "The World Cup is an extremely important moment for those who love sport," she said.
In contrast, a senior French far-left politician, Éric Coquerel, has called for a boycott, arguing that France cannot participate in the tournament if Trump were to go through with his plans. His comments echo concerns raised by other European countries, including Germany, which has divested itself of responsibility for taking decisions on a possible boycott.
The decision not to boycott the World Cup appears to reflect a desire to maintain sports diplomacy over politics, particularly given FIFA's close ties with Trump. The US president even awarded a special "Fifa Peace Prize" to Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Meanwhile, another French politician, Claude Le Roy, has suggested that African teams should consider boycotting the 2026 World Cup due to concerns about Trump's behavior on the continent.
The French government has ruled out boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States along with Canada and Mexico. The decision comes amid escalating tensions between France and the US over Donald Trump's threat to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari made it clear that her ministry is not in favor of boycotting the tournament, citing her commitment to keeping sports separate from politics. "The World Cup is an extremely important moment for those who love sport," she said.
In contrast, a senior French far-left politician, Éric Coquerel, has called for a boycott, arguing that France cannot participate in the tournament if Trump were to go through with his plans. His comments echo concerns raised by other European countries, including Germany, which has divested itself of responsibility for taking decisions on a possible boycott.
The decision not to boycott the World Cup appears to reflect a desire to maintain sports diplomacy over politics, particularly given FIFA's close ties with Trump. The US president even awarded a special "Fifa Peace Prize" to Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Meanwhile, another French politician, Claude Le Roy, has suggested that African teams should consider boycotting the 2026 World Cup due to concerns about Trump's behavior on the continent.
i mean who thought annexing greenland was a good idea? and now france doesn't wanna boycott the world cup over it? i guess it's cool that marina ferrari is keeping sports separate from politics, but éric coquerel's concerns are valid too. germany's decision to divest themselves of responsibility on a possible boycott is interesting... maybe they're more aware of trump's antics than we think 
! Like, I get it, Trump's been all over the place with Greenland and stuff, but boycottin' the World Cup? That's just gonna make things worse 
. I mean, who wants to be seen as the party poopers? Not me, that's for sure 
They deserve to enjoy it without all this drama 
.
FIFA's already got Trump's back with that "Fifa Peace Prize" thing... what more proof do we need? 
... i mean, trump threatening annex greenland? that's a pretty big deal 
. and what's up with fifa's close ties with him? shouldn't they be more like "no thanks"? 
. and marina ferrari makes a good point about keeping things sporty 
.
. maybe they should've been more vocal about their disapproval earlier? just saying 
I'm sure most of them couldn't even score a goal if their lives depended on it.
️. And come on, boycotting the whole tournament just because of one guy? That seems like a big overreaction to me 
.
Marina Ferrari said all the right things about keeping politics out of sports, but I feel like she's being a bit too diplomatic. 
That's like saying "oh well, I'll just let someone else deal with it". Not cool, not cool at all. 
It's always so much easier to point fingers and say "let them decide", but what about actually doing something to help the situation?
It'd be a total mess! But seriously, it makes sense that they don't wanna get involved in all this drama. Politics and sports just don't mix, you know? 
I mean, FIFA is all about promoting unity and fair play, not getting caught up in Trump's antics. And let's be real, the US is already hosting the World Cup - they're gonna make sure it goes smoothly! 
but theres this thing goin on between france and us over trump wanna annex greenland 
especially since trump has ties with fifa and stuff 
on the other hand i wonder if any african team will actually boycott it or if trump's antics will backfire 
. It makes me think about how politics and sports can get super mixed up. Like, shouldn't we just focus on the game, you know? 
FIFA is basically run by Trump now and this whole thing feels like a PR stunt. France isn't gonna be swayed by some far-left politician's tantrum, especially when their minister is all about keeping sports separate from politics 
. And honestly, if Africa does decide to boycott the World Cup, it'll just give some more ammo to those who say football is a game for the elite 
. Can't we just watch some football and enjoy the spectacle?