#fifa-politics

#fifa-politics

It was probably fitting that the first call from someone with genuine power should emanate from Germany, long one of soccer's moral centers. The time has definitely come, German soccer federation vice-president Oke Gottlich told the Hamburger Morgenpost, to seriously consider and discuss a boycott of the 2026 World Cup. What were the justifications for the boycotts of the Olympic Games in the 1980s?

Staged just a mile from the White House, Friday's World Cup draw will have a distinctly political feel. The glittering ceremony will take place at the Kennedy Center, the famous Washington arts venue now chaired by US President Donald Trump after he overhauled its board this year. Alongside stars from football, US sports and show business, Trump will be in attendance, as will the leaders of the other two co-hosts - Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Members of UEFA's executive committee are reportedly in favour of suspending Israel from UEFA competitions, including the Europa League, according to the Associated Press. The executive committee is the main decision-making body of UEFA and responsible for the organisation's governance. On the panel sits UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and 19 other elected members. They include Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi, former FA chair Debbie Hewitt, Champions League winner Dejan Savicevic, Israeli FA president Moshe Zuares and ex-Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.