France’s Sports Minister has stated that she wants to keep sports separate from politics.
Amid the ongoing tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland, France has no plans to boycott the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the country’s Sports Minister, Marina Ferrari.
The 52-year-old Ferrari told reporters on Tuesday that she wishes to separate sports from political disputes.
“At this moment, we are saying that the Ministry has no intention of boycotting this major and highly anticipated competition. I am not speculating on what might happen in the future,” she said.
“The 2026 World Cup is a very important moment for all sports fans.”
The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada next June–July, and will feature 48 teams for the first time.
France, along with the UK, Germany, and six other European countries, opposed Trump’s plan to acquire Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark. In response, the U.S. president has announced a 10% tariff on imports from these countries starting next month. Both sides have been exchanging a series of statements and reactions.
French left-wing lawmaker Éric Coquerel has suggested that the two-time World Cup champions should consider boycotting the upcoming tournament.
“To be honest, can we really imagine playing a football World Cup in a country that attacks its ‘neighbors,’ threatens Greenland, violates international law, and seeks to undermine the United Nations?” he said.
In the last World Cup final in 2022, France lost to Argentina in a tiebreaker.
