European football leaders have held informal discussions about how the sport could respond to Donald Trump's wish to annex Greenland, amid growing concern over the US president's actions. The talks took place on the sidelines of a Hungarian football federation event in Budapest on Monday, attended by around 20 football association heads.
The implications for the World Cup this summer were among the topics raised, with the US set to host 78 of the 104 games. Some senior figures believe military aggression to take Greenland, which Trump has refused to rule out, would be a tipping point for a Uefa-led boycott or other major steps in protest.
Fifa's leadership, who have forged close ties with Trump's government, are thought to deem such a development unlikely. Calls for a boycott have emerged in recent days, with German politician Jürgen Hardt suggesting it as a last-resort option and a Dutch petition nearing 90,000 signatures.
Those present in Budapest were united by deep concern about Trump's actions, to an extent not previously seen during his presidency. Most federations are likely to be guided by their governments' responses, though some sources pondered a more proactive approach. Should one of Europe's bigger FAs make a stand, others would follow.
No definitive steps emerged from the talks, with the situation fast-moving. Uefa's executive committee will next meet formally in Brussels on 11 February. Meanwhile, Greenland's ambition to join Uefa remains thwarted by a 2013 statute change, and Concacaf rejected its application last year.
