‘No desire’ for World Cup boycott over Greenland

The French government is not currently in favour of boycotting this summer’s World Cup over US President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, according to the country’s sports minister.

France is among eight European countries which Trump has said he may impose tariffs on for opposing his demand to take over the autonomous territory, which is controlled by Denmark.

“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.”

She was speaking before Trump said on Wednesday that he is seeking “immediate negotiations” to acquire Greenland for national security reasons, but that he “won’t use force”. His pursuit of the mineral-rich Arctic territory has caused growing tensions with European allies.

Earlier this week, French left-wing politician Éric Coquerel said the country should consider not playing in the World Cup over the issue.

Denmark could appear in the tournament – which will see 78 of the 104 matches staged in the US – if its team qualifies via play-offs.

In a statement, the chief executive of the Danish Football Association, Erik Brogger Rasmussen, told BBC Sport: “We are, of course, aware of the current sensitive situation.

“Like many others, we are following it closely on an ongoing basis. Our focus right now is on winning the two matches in March and thereby qualifying for the World Cup.”

European football leaders are reportedly increasingly concerned about Trump’s wish to annex Greenland and are said to have held initial discussions about how football could respond. European football governing body Uefa and the Football Association (FA) have been approached for comment.

Last month, Fifa President Gianni Infantino awarded Trump the governing body’s inaugural peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw ceremony in Washington, saying he had “played a pivotal role” in establishing a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. The controversial move was criticised by Football Supporters Europe and human rights campaigners.

Twenty-six politicians from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Plaid Cymru have now signed a motion in the UK Parliament, calling on international sporting bodies to consider expelling the US from major international competitions over its foreign policy.

They say such events “should not be used to legitimise or normalise violations of international law by powerful states”.

Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry said she hopes next month’s Winter Olympics in Italy can demonstrate the “unifying effect” of sport at a time of geopolitical tension.

US vice-president JD Vance is set to lead the US delegation at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Games on 6 February.

“We will work extremely hard in order to protect the Olympic Games and the platform that the Olympic Games has, because I think it showcases how we could live,” Coventry said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

“You’re going to have over 90 national Olympic committees taking part, all respecting each other, all having some way of understanding each other, and a bond because they’ve all walked their own paths in getting there – and they haven’t been smooth paths. As an athlete, you go through ups and downs and that’s the incredible thing about sport, the unifying effect that it has. Those, especially in today’s world, are values that we need to ensure we are protecting.”

The next Summer Olympics will be in the US in 2028, with Los Angeles hosting.

Coventry said all the conversations with the organisers had been “very positive” to date, despite concerns over the polarised political climate in the US under Trump.

However, she also admitted she is yet to establish formal communications with Trump on preparations for the Games.

US authorities have promised a welcoming World Cup. But the European Democratic Party (EDP) has warned it may ask national football federations to consider pulling out of the tournament if safety guarantees for European visitors are not forthcoming.

World Cup 2026 ticket holders can now access priority visa appointments for travel to the United States, but doubt remains whether fans from every country to have qualified will be able to enter, because of travel bans that have been issued.