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The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026 playoff draw in Zurich, Switzerland, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (Claudio Thoma/Keystone via AP)
Though muted, there are growing concerns about potential ‘impact’ on the World Cup over the USA’s standoff with Europe over Greenland, with governing bodies trying to navigate a diplomatic crisis.
On Wednesday, The Independent reported that ‘senior officials at the top of FIFA and UEFA’ are ‘very concerned’ over the situation. Earlier this week, the Guardian reported that there were ‘informal discussions’ on the sidelines of the Hungarian Football Federation’s 125th anniversary celebrations about the crisis.
The British daily reported that representatives from 20 UEFA member associations were present at the event. The USA’s frosty relationship with major European countries over Greenland was one of the key issues raised during these conversations, with the officials discussing its impact on the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada in June-July. 78 of the 104 matches scheduled to be played in the US.
USA President Donald Trump’s close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino has also caused unease among some members of the global footballing body and could become a further point of contention.
However, Monday’s talks did not result in any concrete plan of action, as European federations have largely adopted a wait-and-watch approach, the Guardian reported.
Meanwhile, calls for a boycott have emerged in countries such as England and Germany if Trump’s stance remains unchanged, with fans in other European nations also urging their federations to take a stand.
In Britain, Members of Parliament said ‘’the government needed to ‘push every button and pull every lever’ to show its objection to the US president’s threats towards Greenland’, the Metro reported. It included boycotting the World Cup.
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For now, however, football authorities have chosen to remain silent as diplomatic efforts continue. Most federations are expected to align with their respective governments, though they are reportedly united in their concern over the situation.
The French government said on Wednesday that it would not boycott the World Cup. But the country’s sports ministry Marina Ferrari said: “As it stands now, there is no desire from the ministry for a boycott of this great competition,” Marina Ferrari said. “Now, I will not anticipate what could happen, but I have also heard voices raised from certain political blocs. I am one who believes in keeping sport separate [from politics]. The World Cup is an extremely important moment for those who love sport.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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