Why a 2026 World Cup boycott is unlikely to be successful

"Calls for a European-led World Cup boycott have grown louder and louder in recent weeks. Yet the possibility one could happen is "slim to none," said Alan Rothenberg, a man who knows a little bit about both World Cups and boycotts. Rothenberg organized the soccer tournament at the 1984 L.A. Games, which was boycotted by 19 countries. Ten years later, he led the organization that put on the 1994 World Cup, the first held in the U.S. and still the best-attended in history."

"For starters the World Cup is run by the same organization, FIFA, which sanctions virtually every level of soccer globally, from the men's and women's World Cups, to confederation competitions including the UEFA Championships and the Copa América, to most major age-group tournaments. And since it both writes and enforces its own laws, it can ban a federation - and, by extension, its national teams - from any and all competitions."

"So imagine the price a single country, say Spain, would pay for refusing to play World Cup games in the U.S. FIFA could ban its national team from the Euros and its women's team from next summer's World Cup, costing the federation millions of dollars in revenue. It could also prohibit Spanish youth teams from participating in age-group competitions and cut Spain off from any FIFA funding."

Calls for a European-led World Cup boycott have intensified, but the possibility of a boycott remains slim to none. Politicians and soccer officials in several European countries have considered skipping this summer's World Cup largely in response to President Trump's demands that Denmark hand over Greenland. FIFA governs virtually every level of soccer worldwide and writes and enforces its own rules, enabling it to ban federations and national teams from competitions. A single country that refused to play could face bans from the Euros, exclusion from future World Cups, loss of revenue, and cuts to FIFA funding. Russia was banned from international soccer and barred from World Cup qualifying after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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