With the 2026 World Cup in North America less than five months away, participating national teams are entering the final stretch of their preparations. At the same time, the political climate in the United States has grown increasingly tense, as President Donald Trump’s administration faces several major domestic and international challenges.

Rising tensions at home and abroad

Across the country, many Americans remain on edge over intensified Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, particularly amid heightened tensions in Minnesota and earlier unrest in California. Internationally, Trump’s administration began the year with the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and has since escalated rhetoric around national security, with the president openly pushing the idea that the United States should annex Greenland.

Against this backdrop of controversy and an expanding diplomatic and security crisis, Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on eight European countries that oppose any move to incorporate Greenland into the United States. Those nations include Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands. Despite the growing friction, the United States remains set to host the world’s biggest soccer tournament next summer alongside Mexico and Canada.

German politician raises World Cup withdrawal

Following Trump’s threats toward Greenland and the new tariffs on European allies, voices in Germany have begun to openly discuss a potential boycott of the 2026 World Cup. Jürgen Hardt, a senior figure in the Christian Democratic Union and a close ally of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, raised the possibility in comments to the German tabloid BILD.

Hardt suggested that Die Mannschaft could theoretically step away from the tournament, but stressed that such a move would be a last resort. “Withdrawing from the tournament would only be considered as a final measure to bring Trump back to reason on the Greenland issue,” Hardt said. He added that the World Cup holds significant importance for the U.S. president, which could make it a meaningful point of leverage.

NATO confident over Greenland

In separate remarks, Hardt expressed confidence that the dispute could still be resolved through diplomatic channels. “We are confident that we can reach a common understanding on security issues within NATO when it comes to Greenland,” he said.

If no agreement is reached, the Trump administration has floated the idea of raising tariffs to 25 percent beginning Monday, June 1, 2026. The timing would be notable for U.S. Soccer fans. Germany is scheduled to face Mauricio Pochettino’s team in a high-profile friendly on Saturday, June 6, widely expected to be the USMNT’s final match before the 2026 World Cup kicks off.

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