England and Scotland are facing calls to boycott the controversial 2026 World Cup due to ongoing conflicts caused by US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has even been urged to step in.
The tournament is set to be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, but has been thrown into severe doubt by Trump’s latest actions. The 79-year-old has left people with more questions than answers as he goes against most nations in the world.
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First, he imposed travel bans and blocked certain nations from gaining visas to enter America, which would potentially impact many countries that have qualified for the tournament.
The most recent threats made have been against Greenland and any nations trying to stand in America’s way, as Trump looks to buy the Denmark-owned nation. He’s threatened tariffs against any opposing European countries.
Keir Starmer Urged to Step In Over World Cup Chaos
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday night, Conservative former minister Simon Hoare suggested that UK nations should refuse to take part in the World Cup due to Trump’s antics.
Mr Hoare launched a personal attack on the controversial president, claiming (per The Mirror): “He is thin-skinned, he has an ego and he doesn’t like to be embarrassed.” He then floated the idea of boycotting the international tournament:
“Should the state visit go ahead this year? Should football teams play in American stadia for the World Cup? These are things which would embarrass the president at home. We now need to fight fire with fire.”
Those sentiments were backed up by Liberal Democrat Luke Taylor. Posing the question to Starmer and the rest of the government officials, Mr Taylor added:
“I want to agree with (Mr Hoare) and ask the Government if they will consider removing the King’s visit to the United States, and also a boycott of the World Cup to show Donald Trump that the only thing he responds to is his own pride.”
England are set to face Croatia, Panama and Ghana at this year’s tournament. Meanwhile, Steve Clarke’s Scotland return to the biggest international stage for the first time in almost 30 years, facing five-time winners Brazil in the process.
Piers Morgan Also Urged an England World Cup Boycott
This is not the only time that Thomas Tuchel’s men have been urged to boycott the World Cup, either. British journalist and media personality Piers Morgan posted on X, suggesting that England and seven other major nations ‘pause participation’ in the event.
He wrote: “Maybe England, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway and Italy should all pause participation in the World Cup while the various tariff negotiations continue with President Trump?”
The idea of refusing entry to the biggest showpiece in world football was already floated within Germany. Politician Jurgen Hardt claimed it could be a last resort to make Trump see sense over his Greenland pursuit.
