Despite calls that have emerged for a boycott of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in the United States, a majority of German citizens want the national team to travel to the U.S. as originally planned for the summer. In a survey conducted by the research institute Forsa for the magazine “Stern” and broadcaster RTL, 71 % of respondents opposed a boycott while only 24 % favoured the team’s non‑participation. The survey came amid growing debate over the political situation in the U.S., which had prompted some voices to call for a German withdrawal.
The willingness to reject a boycott was broadly consistent across the country, with similar levels in both eastern and western Germany, and across all age groups, whether respondents were football enthusiasts or not. Supporters of major parties such as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the AfD were also predominantly against a boycott. In contrast, the strongest expressions of support for a boycott came from followers of the Greens, with 44 % backing the idea, and from those of the Left Party, where 48 % favoured it, largely in response to the team’s stance under national coach Julian Nagelsmann.
The data, which were collected by Forsa on January 29-30, 2026 for “Stern” and RTL Germany, were based on a sample of 1,009 respondents.