For the 2026 World Cup
DFB boss reacts to US President Trump’s threat
October 25, 2025 – 9:40 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Donald Trump has threatened to have the 2026 World Cup take place in locations other than those planned. Bernd Neuendorf is now reacting to this.
A possible intervention by US President Donald Trump in the hosting of the 2026 World Cup is met with clear skepticism by the President of the German Football Association. Bernd Neuendorf believes that a short-term change to the venues is hardly realistic.
“Relocating venues nine months before a World Cup with 48 teams would be a complicated undertaking,” said the DFB president to the “Frankfurter Rundschau”. Neuendorf, who also sits on the council of the world association Fifa, sees legal problems in such a measure: “And under certain circumstances it would also lead to legal disputes.”
The discussion was triggered by a statement from Donald Trump. The US President had threatened several host cities to withdraw their World Cup games with a simple call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino if he had any doubts about the security situation there.
Neuendorf doubts that this is possible so easily. Contracts have been concluded and investments have been made, said the 64-year-old and explained: “Fifa will definitely do everything to ensure that the games can take place safely as planned in the cities designated for them.”
When asked by t-online, a spokesman for the IOC said: “The LA28 Olympic Games enjoy the full support of the President of the United States, the Governor of California and the Mayor of Los Angeles. They are all extremely helpful in the preparations for these Games. This is also reflected at the operational level of the administration. There are still three years until the start and we are confident that LA28 will be a great Olympic Games.”