How Trump’s Greenland obsession could spark a World Cup boycott

Senior officials at the top of Fifa and Uefa are “very concerned” about the potential impact of the United States interest in Greenland on the World Cup and wider game, sources say, as football federations try to tread their own difficult balance in traversing a diplomatic crisis.

There have been no official meetings, to go with how there won’t yet be any public statements. Everyone is instead looking to Fifa president Gianni Infantino and wondering exactly what he is thinking. That’s one other consequence of such a federation being geared around one central figure, in a way that now means it may not have the governance suitable for such upheaval. If it’s obviously absurd that all of this is on a president, that’s the way the system has been designed. Fifa is not the forum for constructive debate.

This obviously goes way beyond any embarrassment over the Fifa Peace Prize, even as that gained an absurd new symbolism from Donald Trump ’s post about its Nobel “competitor”. Where it is really relevant, however, is in how it makes Infantino even more central to a story that could yet collapse this World Cup . If that sounds ridiculous, just look at the headlines.

In normal cases, after all, a more apolitical federation could fairly cast themselves as victims of geopolitical events.

Infantino’s open courting of Trump, however, makes him a much more central character in this. “He simply has to be worried about what next,” in the words of one source who knows him.

Infantino is felt by other senior officials to just hope this ultimately passes in the way most Trump flare-ups do. Even if nothing happens, though, it is an unprecedented situation for Fifa to be in - and one accentuated by its president’s proximity to this US administration.

If something does happen, however, Infantino faces the biggest crisis Fifa has ever had. The most lucrative ever World Cup may become the most ruinous. The tournament is square in the centre of it all.

Football’s usual “out” in these situations - as has been witnessed with calls to ban Israel - is that individual national associations are generally guided on geopolitical positions by their governments. As FairSquare’s Nick McGeehan says, though, the World Cup is now “an obvious point of leverage” for European federations.

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Donald Trump has caused concern with Nato allies due to his insistence to obtain Greenland which leaves Fifa in an awkward position (Getty Images)

The idea of threatening a boycott has already been reported as being raised in German political circles, and there has been a petition in the Netherlands.

“It would be remarkable if European leaders weren't seriously discussing a boycott as an option,” McGeehan adds.

While no federation wants to openly talk about “red lines” and is generally referring to “hypotheticals”, it doesn’t even need to be said that any US invasion of Greenland would force a strong response. What officials are especially concerned about is how the precedent of the Russia ban offers no breathing space, to say nothing of how this is just before the hosting of a World Cup , rather than after it.

Some senior figures additionally believe that a European bloc - and potentially all of Uefa - may have to come up with a stance before any of that. Most want to show solidarity with Denmark . Some of this was discussed between around 20 federations at a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of Hungary's federation.

Again, it leaves many looking at Infantino.

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Infantino's closeness to the Trump administration could cause a crisis at Fifa should the United States choose military action in Greenland (Getty Images)

This is where Fifa needs strong leadership, only putting further pressure on the president due to that existing understanding with Trump.

Any time that such relationships with the US president or actual autocratic leaders like Mohammed bin Salman are raised, the argument from within Fifa is that Infantino has no choice but to facilitate overtures from such figures. The highly debatable idea has even been suggested that such “integration” will actually curb the worst excesses of dictatorships.

In other words, a modern sporting diplomacy.

Fifa has historically rejected such a role due to the awareness that geopolitical events way beyond your control can cause immense complications

Like, for example, how a peace prize might look.

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Uefa and the Football Associations of European countries could organise a boycott of the World Cup should the Greenland situation deteriorate (Pool via REUTERS)

“This is why they didn’t make themselves political,” one senior executive says. “It’s Harold Macmillan: events, dear boy, events.”

Infantino has not followed that.

He has been explicit about the role of football and the World Cup in uniting the world and bringing “people together”. Those close to the president within Fifa have even talked about how few people in the world are as well-equipped to mediate in Israel-Palestine.

Infantino himself has even described this very World Cup as “the biggest moment in history, a moment that brings the whole world together”.

“And we want everyone to be united… the world will stand still and watch what happens in the three amazing host countries.”

That was on his Instagram in 2023. There’s nothing about any of this now. And the world is indeed watching.

If ever there was a time for Infantino’s questionable relationship with Trump to be useful, and even justifiable, it is now. Who is actually better to talk to him about this? Other “premiers” aren’t, given their own national pressures.

Does Infantino even have the skills to talk to Trump in this way, though? Some argue that the Fifa Peace Prize was specifically awarded for this purpose, to smooth the US president for future political leverage.

That prospect entirely depends on Infantino’s approach.

“Trump remains at his heart a ratings man, and a European boycott kills this World Cup and would deprive him of his role in the 'greatest show on earth’,” McGeehan adds. “Beyond that, a boycott would provoke anger in the host cities, and among sponsors and broadcasters.”

It potentially leaves Infantino hoisted by his own petard, especially as other football figures are generally scathing about his geopolitical “cosplaying”.

“It’s back to him thinking he rubs shoulders with Trump and MBS, whereas they see him as a useful idiot,” one says.

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Infantino's influence on Donald Trump could yet help or harm Fifa's non-political stance (Getty Images)

More abrasive officials believe a truly politicised Fifa should now be more hardline, and threaten to move the World Cup now, given Denmark are one of their members.

Uefa also have the potential power play of finally giving Greenland full membership, in the way they’ve wanted, but there is currently no will to do that.

The situation has rippled out in other ways. US investors have recently been especially interested in Danish clubs due to the football environment and access to Europe, but one source involved in a negotiation says it has been suspended pending what happens with Greenland.

As of now, like much of the world, football is waiting - and hoping. None more so than the president who brought the tournament to the States. The time for politics is actually now.