European football leaders have expressed growing concern over Donald Trump's desire to annex Greenland, with informal discussions held among around 20 football association heads in Budapest on Monday. The talks, which took place on the sidelines of an event celebrating the Hungarian football federation's 125th anniversary, included consideration of the implications for the World Cup this summer, according to The Guardian.
The situation threatens the territory of Denmark, a Uefa member, and football authorities have been reluctant to offer public responses. However, demand for a reaction is expected to intensify if Trump does not back down, particularly as the US will host 78 of the 104 games during the World Cup in June and July. Some senior figures believe military aggression to take Greenland, which Trump has refused to rule out, would be the tipping point for a Uefa-led boycott or other major steps.
Fifa's leadership, which has forged close ties with Trump's government, deems such a development unlikely at this point. Calls for a boycott have emerged in recent days, with German politician Jürgen Hardt suggesting it as a last-resort option and a petition in the Netherlands nearing 90,000 signatories by Tuesday evening. Those present in Budapest were united by deep concern about Trump's actions, to an extent not previously seen during his presidency.
The majority of football federations are likely to be guided by their governments' responses, although some sources have pondered a more proactive approach. There is a sense that if one of Europe's bigger FAs makes a stand, others would follow. Discussions are expected to continue, with Uefa's executive committee next meeting formally in Brussels on 11 February.
Meanwhile, Greenland's ambition to join Uefa remains thwarted by a 2013 statute change forbidding non-independent regions. Concacaf rejected a similar application last year. The Guardian also reported that Fifa insiders feel growing embarrassment over the 'peace prize' presented by Gianni Infantino to Trump in December, though Fifa stood by the award.
