A major issue is now hitting the world football arena ahead of the 2026 World Cup when British journalist Piers Morgan yesterday suggested that eight major European countries consider withdrawing from the tournament.
The proposal was made following the controversy involving United States (US) President Donald Trump and his influence on the upcoming football tournament to be held in the US, Canada and Mexico.
This tension stems from Trump's actions that have sparked international political turmoil, including an attempt to take control of Greenland, as well as threats of tariffs against European countries that are blocking Washington's agenda to take over the island.
Amidst this chaos, FIFA's decision to award the FIFA Peace Prize to Trump during the World Cup voting session also angered many parties.
At the same time, the announcement of an expanded travel ban list for 2025 has raised serious questions about the position of participating countries in the 2026 World Cup.
German politician Jurgen Hardt has suggested that four-time champions Germany boycott the tournament as a strong warning to Trump over the issue of Greenland's sovereignty.
In a statement on Platform X, Piers Morgan suggested that England, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway and Italy should withdraw from the World Cup.
He also believes that this action should be taken in line with the ongoing tariff negotiation process with President Trump.
According to Morgan, the withdrawal of eight of the ten teams in the prestigious tournament will have a major impact and shake up the international football landscape.
However, Italy is the only country that has not yet confirmed a place in the quadrennial tournament, but they have a chance to qualify through the knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, the boycott issue from the eight major European football powers risks undermining the tournament's credibility, and even dealing a huge blow to FIFA and the US as hosts.
This situation clearly proves that the fields of sports and politics are now closely intertwined, making the 2026 World Cup a more intense political battleground than expected.
