Germany's Voeller urges players to avoid political statements at World Cup

Germany’s sporting director Rudi Voeller urged members of the World Cup 2026 squad to avoid political statements during the summer tournament. He said players were not under a gag order, but they should keep sport and politics somewhat separate at the finals. He noted there would be no specialist media training for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, unlike the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Voeller referenced Germany’s experience in Qatar, where the team’s build-up was dominated by discussion of a ban on political symbols and players covered their mouths in a pre-match photo protesting FIFA’s threat over OneLove armbands. He said the media can report on political issues, while Germany should not repeat campaigns or critical interviews immediately before matches.

"Germany sporting director Rudi Voeller has urged members of the World Cup 2026 squad to avoid making political statements during this summer's tournament. Speaking from Germany's pre-World Cup camp in northern Bavaria, Voeller said players were not under a gag order but encouraged them to keep sport and politics somewhat separate while at the finals. He said there would be no specialist media training ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, unlike in the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar."

"If someone wishes to do so, they are welcome to do it in the run-up to the tournament, Voeller said on Wednesday about players making political statements. However, if it hasn't happened until this point, it generally shouldn't start happening now. The 66-year-old hoped Germany learned from their experience four years ago in Qatar, where the team's build-up to the tournament was dominated by discussion about a ban on political symbols."

"In Qatar, the German players covered their mouths in their pre-match photo before their tournament opener against Japan, protesting against FIFA's threat to sanction players for wearing OneLove armbands. Some commentators suggested it contributed to their poor showing at the tournament. Every player is fully aware of the situation; after all, a significant number of the current squad members were also part of the team that went to Qatar, said Voeller."

"Naturally, we won't see a repeat of what happened previously namely, [players and officials] launching various campaigns or conducting interviews and reporting critically on certain issues immediately before a match. Voeller said he would leave it up to the media to report on political issues. You [the media] are free to do that. We're not imposing any gag orders."

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