Just as it did in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, politics is dominating the build up to World Cup 2026. Could discontent with Donald Trump in Europe see football heavyweights united behind such a cause?
With relations between Europe and the United States strained, calls for a Europe-led boycott of World Cup 2026 are beginning to gain traction in some quarters. Politicians, fans and football executives are among those who believe the actions of Donald Trump's administration — particularly in relation to Greenland — make participating in the tournament problematic.
Though Trump said in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that he won't use force to annex Greenland, he immediately preceded that by saying: "We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable."
Given the US president's history of head-spinning u-turns on all sorts of issues, European governments must remain prepared for all eventualities despite the later announcement that the framework of a Greenland deal had been agreed with NATO .
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