Bayern Munich midfielder and Germany international Leon Goretzka says European teams are showing courage heading into the World Cup.
Published January 29, 2026
German midfielder Leon Goretzka said US President Donald Trump “succeeded in making us feel not only German but European.”
In an interview with Die Zeit newspaper published Wednesday, Goretzka, who plays club soccer for Bayern Munich, spoke about the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, and suggested Germany and other European teams would be favorites to win.
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“Other teams have caught up, but we are still ahead of every continent in the most important game in the world,” Goretzka said.
“Europe will not be left behind and will show everyone what is happening on the field.”
There are calls for a boycott in the countdown to the soccer tournament, which will be held from June 11 to July 19. Oke Gottrich, president of Bundesliga side St. Pauli and one of the German federation’s 10 vice presidents, said last week that it was time to “seriously consider and discuss this.”
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also spoke out on Monday.
In his X post, Blatter quoted Mark Peace, a Swiss white-collar crime lawyer and anti-corruption expert who called on fans to boycott the World Cup, adding: “I think Mark Peace is right to have doubts about this World Cup.”
Piece also chaired the independent governance committee overseeing FIFA reform a decade ago and was originally quoted in an interview with Swiss newspaper Der Bund last week.
“I understand there are political discussions,” Goretzka added. “Still, I expect it to be a great tournament. I think this tournament will help improve soccer and convince many people that it’s a great game.”
Germany drew with Ivory Coast, Curaçao and Ecuador in Group E of the World Cup.
