How much fan data was given to US security authorities before the World Cup? None, claims the federal government. The parliamentary groups of Bündnis90/Die Grünen and Die Linke have doubts – and are calling for a comprehensive reform of the violent sports offenders file in the Bundestag.
First and foremost, says Helge Limburg, member of the Bundestag from Bündis90/The Greens, it is about putting all the interior ministers under pressure again. Their conference will take place in Hamburg from June 17th to 19th. Limburg suspects that many ministers no longer have the rights of football fans in mind. The global level also ensures increased interest in the topic: the Football World Cup. For example, what fan data do the strict US security authorities have?
“I fear that this will be the most repressive World Cup for fans in a long time”believes the Limburg domestic policy expert, and in Germany there is also a tendency towards more and more surveillance of fans. The controversial police database File Violent Criminals in Sport (DGS) is once again in focus, Limburg emphasizes to the Sportschau: “This is all highly sensitive, personal data that can cause significant problems for those affected, not only in the context of the upcoming World Cup, but also in the years to come.”
relaxation of the Security situation – but more violent sports
The Greens and the Left have therefore put the issue on the Bundestag agenda. Both applications will be considered together on Wednesday, June 10th at 7 p.m. Both factions complain that a lot is going wrong in football Germany.
According to the Central Information Center for Police Operations (ZIS), there was a significant decrease in criminal proceedings and injuries around the first four leagues in Germany, in European Cup, cup and international matches in the 2024/25 season – by around 18 percent each. When all relevant figures are evaluated, the Left faction even comes to 22 percent fewer crimes. Even the ZIS speaks of one in its report “slight relaxation of the security situation”.
The number of fans recorded in the violent sports offenders (DGS) file remains high. According to the federal government’s response to a small inquiry from the Left Party in May, 6,740 people are currently stored nationwide. For what reasons? “The federal government cannot or does not want to explain this to us”emphasizes Jorrit Bosch, Bundestag member of the Left. Apparently the evaluation for storage reasons would represent an unreasonable effort.
Jan Köstering, left-wing member of the Bundestag, says that according to his own research, one in five people has no crime on their record: “This file urgently needs to be reformed. However, the interior ministers are calling for ever tougher monitoring measures for the stadiums, even though the numbers speak to the contrary.”
Green politician Limburg puts it like this: “Football is becoming more and more peaceful. It is completely incomprehensible that the threshold for storing people in the sports violent offenders file has obviously been lowered.” According to Die Linke, the most common reason for an entry is a breach of the peace, but this is immediately followed by recordings that are not associated with any crime. Stadiums would thus become “test laboratories,” says Köstering: “What is being tested in the stadium today will end up at demonstrations or in public spaces tomorrow.” The Green MP Limburg emphasizes: “We need higher hurdles for initial storage. We need shorter periods of time for deletion if no new incident occurs.”
No “structural transmission” of fan data?
And this is where the World Cup comes into play: fans who are stored in the DGS would have to expect more intensive controls at the borders when traveling abroad. Limburg reports that attempts were made to find out whether and how much data from the file was transmitted to the World Cup organizing countries. Answer from the federal government: none. There is currently none “structural transfer intended”says the answer to Die Linke.
This term makes politicians suspicious. And the fans too. How do you process this data and where does it go? In 2025 there were around 2,000 requests for information from football fans who wanted to know whether they appeared in the file. An increase of around 30 percent compared to the previous year. By May of this year, around 1,200 fans had already made such a request. This is what it says in the federal government’s response to the left-wing faction’s small question.
“The growing distrust of those affected” don’t be a coincidence compared to a file, “The criteria and consequences of which are difficult for many to understand”says Jorrit Bosch. His group therefore demands that this data be passed on only if a travel ban has been imposed on those affected.
What also makes the left suspicious: Since September 2025, there have been several working meetings between German, US and Canadian authorities to coordinate police cooperation. Bosch: “The fact that German officials are being sent to a World Cup is not the problem. The real problem is who they are supposed to cooperate with there: a US security apparatus that is accused of discriminatory entry controls, Racial profilingallegations and an increasingly authoritarian security architecture have come under massive criticism.” The fact that the first team officials and even a Somali referee, Omar Atan, were not allowed into the country “show where the journey is going”says Bosch.
Massive problems feared for World Cup fans upon entry
Helge Limburg from the Greens also fears that things will be huge around the World Cup “Scoundrel with data” operated: “If you’re a football fan who has applied for a ticket in the USA, FIFA forces you to provide a lot of data, and we can’t be sure who will get it.” Some fans may travel to the United States with a lot of stomach pain.
Limburg originally wanted to be a World Cup tourist himself – but he decided not to. “It is to be expected that a large number of German fans will have massive problems with US security authorities either when entering the country or on site.” The Greens have therefore asked the federal government to what extent affected fans would receive help on site. From the group’s point of view, the answer was disappointing a few weeks ago, said Limburg: “They told us they weren’t doing anything special.” At least he now has indications that the DFB did not want to accept this and that there will at least be additional fan embassies with additional consular employees.
Regardless of the World Cup, the trend is also worrying in Germany. “Especially in the context of the Interior Ministers’ Conference, we have been seeing an intensified discourse for months now”says Limburg, “Fans are essentially made out to be society’s scapegoats. And placed under general suspicion.”
The Left and the Greens are therefore strictly against video surveillance and the use of facial recognition software. They also reject personalized ticketing and demand a right to refuse to testify for employees of fan projects. “Protecting fan culture – dialogue instead of repression, participation instead of discrimination” is the motto of the Left faction, which will also submit a position paper developed together with fan organizations. They are now finally “Sign of de-escalation” necessary from the federal government.