England and Scotland get verdict on boycotting 2026 World Cup over Trump threat | Football | Sport

As Donald Trump continues to cause a stir, Express Sport readers have shared their thoughts on whether England and Scotland should attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer with USA being one of the hosts. Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland by using military force coupled with the rising conflict within the country has left many fans skeptical of the United States’ ability to host football’s biggest event. Trump recently claimed the UK travelled to Greenland for ‘purposes unknown’ and threatened a 10 per cent tariff on all goods sent to the United States.

Last summer, the US hosted the Club World Cup where many matches were poorly attended, with more than a million empty seats during the tournament, while players like Jude Bellingham, Reece James and Enzo Fernandez criticised the weather conditions and quality of the pitches in the United States. A poll run by Express Sport revealed that 53 per cent of readers feel that England and Scotland should boycott the World Cup over Donald Trump’s threats.

Why does Trump want to own Greenland?

The US President believes Greenland is strategically important given its location between North America and the Arctic, making it well-placed for early warning systems in the event of ballistic missile attacks. Trump has also cited an apparent threat from rival powers, stating: “If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland.”

It is currently owned by Denmark, who are vehemently opposed to the idea of handing it over to the United States.

Though his primary issue is with Denmark, Trump claimed in a recent social media post that Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the UK have all travelled to Greenland for ‘purposes unknown’.

As a result, Trump said the aforementioned countries would be hit with 10 per cent tariffs on all goods sent to the United States.

The build-up to the World Cup has already been overshadowed by the US taking military action in Venezuela earlier this month.

Why are tensions rising in the US?

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) was created in response to the September 11 attacks in New York.

ICE is taking the lead in carrying out the Trump administration’s mass deportation initiative, which was a central promise of Trump’s election campaign.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, ICE has made thousands of arrests, often in public places, leading to a number of clashes with protesters who oppose the agency’s operations.

After the deaths of at least eight people in connection to ICE since the start of the year – including the high-profile killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis – activists are demanding the permanent removal of ICE from towns and cities across the US.

ICE has confirmed it will attend the Super Bowl this month, and some fans are concerned about their safety in the country if they are also present throughout the World Cup.