Overview
- Oke Göttlich, DFB vice president and St. Pauli president, said Europe should now seriously consider and discuss a boycott, invoking Cold War–era Olympic precedents and criticizing FIFA leadership.
- Germany captain Joshua Kimmich declined to engage in the boycott debate, calling it a lesson from the politically fraught Qatar 2022 experience and saying others at the DFB or in government should speak instead.
- The German Football Association has taken no public position, while France’s sports minister said Paris has no desire to boycott and prefers to keep sport separate from political disputes.
- FIFA expert Philipp Sohmer assessed a national-team boycott as very unlikely, citing the tournament’s sporting and commercial importance and arguing political issues should not be offloaded onto football.
- Public pressure continues through fan actions, including a Dutch petition with about 143,000 signatures by January 23 and individual supporters opting not to travel, even as the KNVB says the Netherlands will take part.