“It achieves nothing” – Völler strongly against 2026 World Cup boycott talks

The former German international and current DFB sporting director feels boycotts are a waste of time and “simply doesn’t achieve anything”.

The renewed discussion about a possible boycott of the FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is misplaced, according to DFB sporting director Rudi Völler. 

At a recent editorial board meeting of the German Press Agency in Berlin, the 1990 World Cup winner clearly outlined his stance on the debate.

“It’s pointless to discuss this. It achieves nothing and you only harm the athletes,” said the former striker, suggesting the players are the ones who suffer from political debates.

“I’ve always been against a boycott because it simply doesn’t achieve anything,” the 65-year-old said, referencing the boycotts of the 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Major sporting events are not a suitable stage for political power games. In Völler’s view, those who suffer most are usually the athletes who work for years towards their sporting peak.

The debate was recently revived by FC St. Pauli president, Oke Göttlich, who expressed that the potential for a boycott at least be discussed openly and given fair consideration.

“You can’t just ignore a topic. Football doesn’t function in the test tube of social issues,” said Göttlich, pointing out that sport and politics cannot be completely separated.

Geopolitical tensions around Donald Trump’s territorial claims to Greenland and the harsh actions of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) towards migrants were believed to be the basis of the boycott calls.