The President of the United Nations General Assembly and former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) rejected a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. She told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (RND) that a boycott would also affect Canada and Mexico, who are co‑hosts, and that it is not wise to put urgent political debates onto the backs of athletes who have trained for years for a championship.
Baerbock called on sports associations and politicians to act responsibly. She said that within the scope of major sporting events, associations and officials must ensure that their own awarding criteria-such as press freedom, non‑discrimination and immigration rules-are not ignored. She added that on a national level there is a political duty to avoid becoming a cheerleader in the stands and to take a clear position in advance.
Calls for a boycott of the World Cup come on the backdrop of the annexation threats from US President Donald Trump against Greenland and Canada, as well as the brutal actions against the own population.
In response to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s push to allow Russia back into international football tournaments, Baerbock distanced herself. She told the RND that, to her knowledge, the Russian offensive war is unfortunately not yet finished.