French sports Minister Marina Ferrari says her government is not in favour of boycotting this year's World Cup due to US President Donald Trump's threats over Greenland. The move comes after Trump targeted France and other European countries with tariffs for opposing his attempt to annex the autonomous Danish territory.
The comments from Ferrari contradict those made by French far-left politician Éric Coquerel, who earlier suggested that a boycott of the tournament was necessary if Trump were to go through with his plans. However, Coquerel's views have not carried much weight within the government.
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the US along with Canada and Mexico from June 11th to July 19th. Ferrari has stated her desire for the sport to be kept separate from politics, saying that the tournament is an "extremely important moment" for football fans.
Ferrari's comments also come amid growing calls from African teams to boycott the World Cup due to Trump's aggressive stance on Greenland. Cameroon legend Claude Le Roy echoed Coquerel's sentiments, suggesting that African nations should take a stand against the US President's actions.
The situation has highlighted tensions between sports and politics, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino facing criticism for his close relationship with Trump. The US President had previously awarded Infantino the "Fifa Peace Prize" at the World Cup draw in December, further straining ties between the two leaders.
The comments from Ferrari contradict those made by French far-left politician Éric Coquerel, who earlier suggested that a boycott of the tournament was necessary if Trump were to go through with his plans. However, Coquerel's views have not carried much weight within the government.
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the US along with Canada and Mexico from June 11th to July 19th. Ferrari has stated her desire for the sport to be kept separate from politics, saying that the tournament is an "extremely important moment" for football fans.
Ferrari's comments also come amid growing calls from African teams to boycott the World Cup due to Trump's aggressive stance on Greenland. Cameroon legend Claude Le Roy echoed Coquerel's sentiments, suggesting that African nations should take a stand against the US President's actions.
The situation has highlighted tensions between sports and politics, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino facing criticism for his close relationship with Trump. The US President had previously awarded Infantino the "Fifa Peace Prize" at the World Cup draw in December, further straining ties between the two leaders.
. Can't they just focus on what's best for football instead of getting caught up in Trump's ego trip? Like, Ferrari makes a point that the World Cup is about sports, not politics, but do we really believe that? I mean, FIFA's got some major skeletons in its closet, and Infantino's buddy with Trump doesn't help matters. The African teams should totally boycott the tournament if they feel strongly about it, IMO 
. It's time for them to stand up for themselves and show Trump who's boss 
. And can we please just focus on the beautiful game instead of all this noise? 
her gov should really be taking a stand against trump's threats lol and what's with FIFA not doing anything about it? Infantino's whole "fifa peace prize" thing just looks like a big ol' slap in the face to africa & europe 
... i get that sports and politics aren't supposed to mix, but come on, Trump has no right to be all aggressive about Greenland 
. it's like, hello, you're not even a real country! and france and other europeans are just gonna sit back and let him bully them? no way, marina ferrarri is totally right that the world cup should be separate from politics 
... i hope african teams do take a stand against trump too 
... and what's with fifa and trumps friendship? it's just weird 
it's not about politics or tariffs, it's about standing up for yourself and your people. can't just sit back and watch someone bully you into silence 
. I mean, think about it - it's still gonna be a massive event with all those amazing teams and players coming together... and who knows, maybe it'll even bring some nations together despite their differences 
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. And I'm curious to see how things play out - will African teams really boycott the tournament, or was that just a big statement? Either way, it's gonna be interesting to watch... and hopefully, we'll get some epic matches! 
The US is getting under everyone's skin again! 
Trump thinks he can just go around imposing tariffs and annexing countries because... why?! 
What do you think? Should FIFA step in?
... I mean, who needs politics ruining their soccer experience? But wait, isn't Trump's threats kinda a big deal? Like, doesn't that warrant some kind of protest or boycott? 
I mean, Ferrari's all about keeping sports separate from politics, but isn't that kind of naive? Isn't there some connection between Trump's aggressive stance and the World Cup? 
But seriously, Trump's threat to annex Greenland is super concerning. Like, who does he think he is? The whole situation with Ferrari and Coquerel is pretty interesting though - it shows how politics can really affect sports events.
. The focus should be on football, not politics! Can't we all just enjoy the beautiful game without all these drama-filled controversies? 
, which is so true! At the end of the day, we're all there for the love of the game, not to get caught up in politics. And I think that's what FIFA needs to focus on - making sure the World Cup is about bringing people together, not driving them apart 
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. Can we really afford to let politics ruin our favorite sport? I hope they can find a way to navigate this situation without losing sight of what's truly important - good football! 
? i mean ferrari makes sense she doesnt wanna bring politics to the pitch, thats what the world cup is 4 - football not politics. and coquerel thinks hes some kinda hero by saying lets boycott but like whats gonna stop trump from doin whatever he wants anyway? 
, it's about respect for other countries too. 
Ferrari's idea of keeping the World Cup separate from all this drama is a good one, though... 
and what's w/ da fifa peace prize tho? did infantino really think trump would be like "ok cool" about it? 
This whole thing is so weird... I mean, come on @USPresident and his antics are crazy! 
