An own goal

Football buddies: The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the leaders of which – (from left) Mark Carney, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Trump – were at the World Cup draw in December.

CALLS to boycott the FIFA World Cup 2026 in June, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, over US President Donald Trump’s renewed rhetoric on a Greenland takeover may sound principled, but they are strategically hollow.

The French government’s refusal to entertain such a boycott is not cowardice or complacency. It is realism. An executive committee member of Ger-many’s football federation was among those who recently suggested a serious discussion about boycotting the world’s most festive tournament.