DFB sports director makes it clear
Völler-Klartext before the start of the World Cup: “That won’t happen anymore”
May 27, 2026 – 6:42 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
At a DFB press conference, Rudi Völler recalled the failure of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from a German perspective – and is now setting the direction for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
DFB sports director Rudi Völler has drawn a clear lesson for the national team from the political debates at the last World Cup in Qatar. The focus of the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA, which begins on June 11th, will be solely on football and sporting success.
“It will no longer be the case that any actions or interviews will be started immediately before a game,” said the 66-year-old at the opening press conference to mark the start of the German World Cup squad’s direct tournament preparation in Herzogenaurach. Review: At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, there were debates about the captain’s armband before the first World Cup group game against Japan, which was lost 2-1. In the end there was the elimination of the preliminary round.
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Before the kick-off of the Japan game, the German players demonstratively held their hands over their mouths during the team photo. They were protesting against politics in the host country. The DFB team originally wanted to play with a rainbow armband on the arm of their then captain Manuel Neuer. This was banned by the world association Fifa. The DFB team got lost.
“No muzzles”
It would be a good idea to “separate politics and football a bit,” said Völler. However, Völler also emphasized: There will be “no muzzles” in the DFB team, the former team boss assured.
What’s more, you shouldn’t be apolitical either. “There are many things in the world that we all don’t like. I would also prefer more peace everywhere,” said Völler. But football can’t solve that. “We are there to play a World Cup. That’s what comes first. We are footballers,” said the sports director.
In view of the political world situation and developments in the USA under President Donald Trump, there were some boycott demands from German football in the run-up to the tournament. DFB Vice President Oke Göttlich brought a boycott of the World Cup into play. Not an issue for Völler.
“Even as a young player, I was against a boycott,” he said, recalling the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, which were boycotted by numerous Western nations, including Germany. “I thought it was wrong back then. And it didn’t help at all,” said Völler.
