The 23rd FIFA tournament is set to take place across Canada, Mexico and the US this summer– however, it's been arguably overshadowed in recent months, thanks to the opinions and actions of a certain president.
World Cup games will traditionally see fans of competing nations flock in from around the world to watch their team play, but this won't be the case for 15 out of the 48 teams competing, thanks to travel bans issued by Donald Trump.
While the players and their coaching staff will be still be able to enter the US, the move means that fans from Haiti, Iran and Senegal may have issues making it stateside.
The US has also found itself embroiled in numerous political controversies in the past couple of months, which also threaten to overshadow the tournament. Internationally, there has been backlash to Trump's threats to take over Greenland, the administration's decision to abduct the President of Venezuela during a flying raid on Caracas, and the recent decision to send a 'massive armada' to the Middle East in order to intimidate Iran.
Advert
Meanwhile at home, the US has been troubled by ongoing unrest in the state of Minnesota, after protests against ICE raids in the state's capital Minneapolis saw US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti shot dead by federal agents.
What has been said about a potential World Cup boycott?
Given the myriad of controversies involving both the US and its leader, it's not surprising that talk has turned to a potential boycott in several parts of the world.
Here is a rundown of all the countries which have either floated or commented on the idea of a World Cup 2026 boycott:
Germany
Oke Gottlich, vice-president of the German Football Association (DFB) recently discussed the prospect of Germany pulling out of the tournament in an interview with the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper.
"I really wonder when the time will be to think and talk about this [a boycott] concretely," he told the outlet. "For me, that time has definitely come."
Going on to reference the backlash to the 2022 Qatar games, he added: "Qatar was too political for everyone and now we're completely apolitical? That's something that really, really, really bothers me."
Denmark
Although Denmark's qualification hinges on play-off success in March, the nation has already responded to calls for a potential boycott, with the Danish Football Association noting they are 'aware of the current sensitive situation'.
South Africa
Calls for a South African boycott have been led by politician Julius Malema, a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters party has called on the South African Football Federation to withdraw in protest.
"SAFA must take a decision to withdraw from having anything to do with the World Cup that is taking place in America," he said on a recent EFF podcast.
Belgium
While authorities in Belgium have not ruled out boycotting the tournament, it is unlikely, with the Royal Belgian Football Association telling The Brussels Times: "We are currently focusing on sporting preparations for the World Cup, while also keeping an eye on developments outside of sport."
The Netherlands
Like Belgium, the Netherlands is also facing calls to boycott the tournament from its people, with a petition calling for a boycott reaching over 163,000 signatures.
It is unacceptable for our footballers to go to a tournament organised by a president who is threatening to invade an ally," the petition reads. "Taking part in a sporting event as if nothing is happening legitimises Trump's expansionist policy.
France
French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari told local media that a boycott was not being discussed 'at this stage', but she did add that 'I'm not going to predict what might happen'.
Iran
The US decided to only grant four out of nine visas for the Iranian delegation back in November, leading to calls for Iran to boycott the World Cup draw.
A small group of delegates eventually attended the ceremony in Washington D.C.
What about competing countries from the UK?
There has also been calls for competing countries from the UK - England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales - to boycott the tournament.
The call came from Conservative former minister Simon Hoare and Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam Luke Taylor, with the pair saying competing countries from the UK should pull out in order to 'fight fire with fire' and embarrass Trump during a dispute over Greenland (via STV).
However, a boycott from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, should they qualify, is unlikely, given Keir Starmer's longrunning diplomacy attempts to keep President Trump onside.
Topics: Donald Trump, Football, Sport, US News, World Cup, Politics
Brenna Cooper