A footballer for a country that has qualified for the upcoming World Cup has given his thoughts on Donald Trump’s actions. They are just one of 48 nations set to travel to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the competition.
Multiple issues have been in the limelight ahead of the tournament, though. Ticket prices for matches were a big topic of conversation, but there have been multiple political issues which have given cause for concern, including nations being included on travel ban lists and safety concerns following the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Lately, Trump has also antagonised European countries with his comments. In December 2025, he threatened to stop supporting Ukraine amid the country’s ongoing war with Russia, while he has also repeated his desire to claim Greenland, an autonomous region of Denmark, for America. In the wake of several nations backing the Danes, the president also sent a threatening message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
Although footballers will no doubt be focusing on earning a spot in their respective squads rather than all the noise surrounding the tournament, they will still be aware of everything that is happening in the build-up. And German international Leon Goretzka has become one of the first to address the political issues concerning the World Cup hosts.
The Bayern Munich midfielder, who has previously spoken out on matters such as racism and climate change, told German outlet Die Zeit that he still expects the upcoming competition to be a special one. But he also acknowledged the behaviour of Trump and the ongoing political issues.
He said: “Of course, I’m aware of the political debates. I still expect it to be a great tournament – it will promote football there, and show many people want an incredibly exciting game.
“Donald Trump makes us feel not only German but also European.”
Goretzka Confident European Nations are Favourites for World Cup
While Germany have qualified for the tournament, one official for Die Mannschaft made headlines recently when he called for the four-time World Cup winners to boycott football’s biggest competition in 2026. Oke Gottlich, who is president of German club St Pauli, referenced the United States boycotting the 1980 Olympics when protesting the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan.
The German FA have since addressed the comments and said that discussions regarding a potential boycott were “misguided.” And Goretzka believes that Germany, along with other European nations, will once again be among the best performers in North America.
Ex-FIFA President Sepp Blatter Reveals Thoughts on Fans Boycotting 2026 World Cup
The former head of FIFA has spoken out against Donald Trump’s United States.
“In the most important game in the world, we [Europe] are still ahead of all other continents,” he said. “Far from being left behind, Europe will show everyone what it’s made of on the pitch.”
Drawn in Group E alongside Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador, Germany will certainly be the favourites to reach the knockout stage and potentially go all the way to the final. Their first match is set for 14th June against Curacao, who are the smallest nations to ever qualify for the World Cup.
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