The French Football Federation has decided on its position regarding the call by a number of European and international countries to boycott the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held for the first time in the tournament's history in three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The past few weeks have seen large protests from a number of politicians in European countries, including France and Germany, or other countries in North and South America, calling for a boycott of the World Cup in response to the policies of US President Donald Trump on both political and sporting issues, and his restrictions on fans obtaining visas to enter the country.
French parliament member Eric Coquerel of the "France Unbowed" party called on FIFA to limit the hosting of this summer's World Cup to Mexico and Canada only, excluding the United States.
After Eric Cockerell called for the tournament to be moved from the United States and limited to Mexico and Canada, the French Football Federation responded through its president, Philippe Diallo, to put an end to speculation about the participation of the 2018 World Cup champions in the 2026 World Cup.
In an interview with the newspaper "Ouest-France," Philippe Diallo clarified the French Football Federation's position on the controversy surrounding the possibility of boycotting the 2026 World Cup, about five months before the start of the tournament scheduled to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada between June 11 and July 19.
The president of the French Football Federation reiterated that his country's position is firm, saying: "My fundamental position is not to mix politics with sports. Sports are a place where all people, all individuals, come together, regardless of their origins, religions, or beliefs. We must leave the World Cup only as a football competition that brings everyone closer together and ends with a team crowned champion."
Philippe Diallo dismissed any doubts about France's participation in the World Cup, saying he saw no reason for a boycott or protest, and that his country's participation was a certainty.
Diallo, who will be president of the French Football Federation for the first time at the World Cup, added: "Of course, as a leader and in charge, we must follow the international situation closely as it develops. But today, the French Football Federation has no intention of boycotting the World Cup in the United States."
French newspapers said this position clearly contradicts some voices in Germany, where the vice president of the German Football Association, Uke Gottlich, believes that the debate about the boycott must now be addressed "seriously," as he put it.
The draw for the next edition of the FIFA World Cup placed France in Group 10 alongside Senegal, Norway, and one of the teams that will qualify from the play-offs, in which Iraq will participate in March 2026.
