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Calls grow for European teams to boycott World Cup 2026

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With relations between European governments and the United States strained, calls for European teams to boycott World Cup 2026 are beginning to gain traction in some quarters. Politicians, fans and football executives are among those who believe that the actions of Donald Trump’s administration — particularly in relation to Greenland — make participating in the tournament problematic.

Though Trump said in his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week that he won’t use force to annex Greenland, he immediately preceded that by saying: “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable.”

Given the US president’s history of head-spinning U-turns on all sorts of issues, European governments must remain prepared for all eventualities, despite the later announcement that the framework of a Greenland deal had been agreed with NATO. So, too, must their football associations.

Mogens Jensen, spokesperson of the Danish Social Democrats for culture, media and sports, told DW that Denmark — of which Greenland is a semiautonomous constituent territory — is not yet calling for a boycott.

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“For my party and for myself, our view on this is that it is one of the last tools in the toolbox that you should take up,” he said.

But, he added, were Trump to decide an invasion was the way to achieve his aim after all, things would have to change.

“I will be honest and say, yes, if that should happen, then a boycott discussion is very, very relevant,” Jensen said moments before Trump took to the Davos stage.

“It’s likely to happen if it develops into a real conflict. I sincerely hope that it will not come to this,” he added.

Greenland tariffs put Germany, others in tough spot

Reports from various outlets suggest European football’s governors, UEFA, held a meeting featuring a number of heads of football associations on Monday, with the 10% tariffs Trump slapped on eight European countries over Greenland last week likely to have been a key topic. Trump said on Wednesday that he would revoke these should the NATO deal be “consumated.”

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Of those eight nations, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK (in the shape of England and Scotland) have already qualified for the tournament while Denmark, Sweden and Northern Ireland (also UK) are in the playoffs. The final country, Finland, did not qualify.

It isn’t just Danish politicians who could be forced to consider their options. In Germany, a handful have spoken on the boycott issue. Roderich Kiesewetter of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats sits on the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee and said military action may not even be required for a boycott.

Germany players crowd round Florian Wirtz to celebrate a goal
Germany have qualified for the World Cup and are in a group with Curacao, Ecuador and Ivory CoastImage: Gerhard Schultheiß/Jan Huebner/IMAGO

“If Trump follows through on his announcements and threats regarding Greenland and starts a trade war with the EU, it’s hard for me to imagine European countries participating in the World Cup,” he told the Augsburg Allgemeine newspaper.

However, Chris­ti­ane Schen­de­r­lein, Germany’s state min­is­ter for sports, has kicked the can to the country’s football association, the DFB.

“Decisions on par­ti­cip­a­tion or boy­cotts at major sport­ing events lie solely with the com­pet­ent sports asso­ci­ations, not with politi­cians,” she told news agency AFP.

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The DFB has not responded to a request from DW for comment on the issue.

Fan frustration drives growing petition

Teun van de Keuken became frustrated by what he sees as political inaction in the face of one NATO member threatening another, among other Trump policies, and began a petition in his native Netherlands which now stands at 135,000 signatures and climbing.

“Sports associations almost always say we don’t want to mix politics and sports, but the problem is the politics are already there and you have to take a stand,” van de Keuken told DW.

Van de Keuken is now looking for the best way to get the petition to a broader global audience and tap into what he believes is broad fan dissatisfaction with the tournament.

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“This boycott idea is now popular amongst football fans, like me. I wouldn’t like it if this happens as we won’t have a World Cup, which is always a highlight in sports and I love it. But I think now the political situation is more important.”

Peace prize leads to neutrality questions

In the eyes of van de Keuken and many others, FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s very public cozying up to Trump has made FIFA’s usual insistence on its politically neutral stance even harder to accept. Danish politician Jensen is also concerned that this will allow Trump to use the tournament for “propaganda.”

Donald Trump receives first FIFA peace prize

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“I have my fears when you see that FIFA suddenly thinks the president of the US should have a peace prize, which has never existed before. I don’t know on what grounds FIFA suddenly needs to award a peace prize, but it could be a warning of what could await us when the tournament happens in the US.”

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Jensen is not alone in his misgivings, even if most political parties and federations are sitting back and waiting to see which, if any, of Trump’s announcements will come to pass. The new tariffs are to come into effect on February 1, if the NATO deal Trump refers to is not signed by then. That’s 10 days before UEFA’s Executive Committee (Exco) meets in Brussels.

Can European football unite if needed?

That meeting could prove decisive in any efforts to form a European alliance to boycott the tournament. With 16 of the 48 teams at the World Cup and the world’s most powerful club sides from Europe, any move by the continent’s associations would likely see the rest of the footballing world take notice — with some possibly to follow.

While there have also been calls from politicians in the UK, France and elsewhere both for and against boycotts, European champion Spain may be one of the countries expected to lead any potential charge. The country’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, was one of a handful of world leaders who called for Israel to be barred from international sports competitions last year while Spain, along with the Netherlands, was one of several countries that said it would boycott the Eurovision Song Contest over the war in Gaza.

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Another country that has often stood up in human rights disputes, and would be impacted by the tariffs if they come into effect, is Norway. Lise Klaveness, the president of Norway’s FA (NFF) — who is also on UEFA’s Exco — was another to call for a boycott of Israel, while Norway’s players wore protest T-shirts in support of Qatari migrant workers before the 2022 World Cup in the Middle Eastern country.

But Klaveness told reporters in Norway on Tuesday that, if there were to be a boycott, no country could or should go it alone.

 “We do not believe that an isolated boycott on the part of NFF is an effective means of lasting change. In these times, it is particularly important that countries in Europe speak with one voice and stand united,” she said.

Edited by: Chuck Penfold

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Lavonte David retires: Buccaneers LB leaves prolific tackling legacy

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Three-time All-Pro linebacker Lavonte David announced Tuesday his retirement from the NFL, ending a 14-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Retirement had been brewing for multiple years. Each of David’s last three contracts with the Buccaneers were one-year agreements, which left the door open for him to walk away from the team. He again became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025 season but this time will not re-sign with Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers made a roster move on Monday that indicated it was unlikely David would return for a 15th season. Tampa agreed to terms with free agent linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who last year started a career-high 15 games with the Carolina Panthers and now appears poised to fill David’s spot on the depth chart.

A lingering knee injury hampered David’s final season, and while he did not miss any time due to the ailment, it required arthroscopic surgery at the end of the campaign. David revealed earlier this offseason that he had to have fluid drained weekly from his knee in order to play.

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Even at less than full strength, David turned in another stellar season to close his nearly decade-and-a-half run with the Buccaneers. He accumulated 114 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 8.0 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles in his final year as a pro.

David’s legacy, albeit arguably underrated, is that of a potential Hall of Famer. He was the NFL’s active leader in solo tackles before his retirement with 1,172 career stops, and he finished his time in Tampa Bay with 42.5 sacks and 177 tackles for loss to his name. His efforts earned him a Pro Bowl nod in 2015, and he picked up a first-team All-Pro selection in 2013 and two second-team honors in 2016 and 2020.

David will also be remembered for helping to deliver a second Super Bowl title to Tampa Bay. He was a centerpiece of the 2020 roster that rolled to a Super Bowl 55 victory, as he picked up the NFC Defensive Player of the Month honor in September for a terrific start to that championship season.

Lavonte David retires as an all-time great linebacker

While he is not a slam dunk to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, David’s credentials as a Super Bowl champion and one of the most esteemed tacklers of his era give him a chance to be enshrined alongside the best linebackers in NFL history. He ranks in the top seven players in league history in both total tackles and tackles for loss.

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All-time tackle leaders

1

Ray Lewis

2,059

2

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London Fletcher

2,039

3

Bobby Wagner

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2,000

4

Junior Seau

1,847

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5

Jessie Tuggle

1,805

6

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Zach Thomas

1,734

7

Lavonte David

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1,716

David finished his Bucs career tied with Derrick Brooks for most tackles.

All-time tackles for loss leaders

David’s achievements are all the more meaningful because he accumulated them with just one team. He is one of the rare players on these leaderboards to spend his entire career with a single franchise.

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TGL Finals odds, predictions by proven expert: Jupiter Links vs. Los Angeles GC as Tiger Woods makes his return

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Tiger Woods makes his return on Tuesday night as Jupiter Links looks to stay alive and force a third and deciding Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL) Finals match later in the evening. Los Angeles is up 1-0 in the best-of-three TGL Finals. Los Angeles is led by Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose, who already have PGA Tour wins this season. Despite the return of Woods, who has been absent from the PGA Tour for nearly two years and last played in a TGL match last year, Jupiter is a +110 underdog as Los Angeles GC is a -138 favorite in Match 2. os Angeles is -410 to win it all, while Jupiter is +280.

Match 2 is being played at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. The match gets underway at 7 p.m. ET. The SoFi Center is a custom-built 250,000 square foot indoor stadium. It features a 64-foot-wide simulator for long shots and a physical 23,100-square foot short game rotating complex. If Jupiter Links wins Match 2, a decisive third match will follow at 9 p.m. ET.  Before making any TGL picks, you need to see the Jupiter Links vs. Los Angeles GC predictions and best bets from golf insider Brady Kannon

Kannon is an elite golfing handicapper with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. He has called eight major winners since 2013 and hit seven PGA winners, including 110-1 longshot Harris English at the Farmers Insurance Open, in 2025. He also hit on Matt Fitzpatrick (15-1) last week for an outright winner. Additionally, he’s 32-27-4 on head-to-head bets since joining SportsLine. Anyone who followed his golf betting picks could have been way up on betting apps and sportsbooks.

New users can claim a special offer by signing up for DraftKings Sportsbook. Visit our DraftKings promo code review right now to see their latest offers and get started.

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Now, Kannon has focused his attention on Jupiter Links vs. Los Angeles GC and locked in his TGL best bets for Tuesday, March 24. You can only see them at SportsLine.  

Top Jupiter Links vs. Los Angeles GC preview

Kannon understands the logic of Los Angeles GC being the favorite at -138. Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose already have PGA Tour wins this season. Tommy Fleetwood and Sahith Theegala round out the heavyweight squad. Despite the return of Woods, who hasn’t golfed much over the past two years, will it be enough for Jupiter Links to square the series and then win in a third match?   

“Simply on paper, most golf enthusiasts would understand the Los Angeles GC being a heavy favorite,” Kannon said. “Morikawa and Rose already have victories on the PGA Tour this season while Fleetwood and Theegala have each finished top 10 three times. Kim and Homa had been struggling but have shown some improvement on Tour lately. Woods last played a TGL match a year ago and hasn’t played on Tour in nearly two years.”

Jupiter Links, however, is an intriguing underdog as Woods makes his return and could provide a spark. At least in Match 2, Jupiter is the one facing the win-or-go-home situation, so the should be highly motivated to play its best golf. See Kannon’s TGL pick and analysis right here.

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How to make Los Angeles GC vs. Jupiter Links TGL picks

Kannon has evaluated the matchup and found a critical X-factor that has him jumping on one side. You can only see the TGL picks at SportsLine

So who wins Jupiter Links vs. Los Angeles GC, and where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Los Angeles vs. Jupiter spread you need to jump on, all from the golf expert who has called eight major winners since 2023. 

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Imperfect Women season 1 episode 3 release date and time, what’s next, and everything you need to know

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Imperfect Women season 1 episode 3 is set to release on March 25, 2026, on Apple TV+, continuing the series’ weekly rollout. Titled “Monster,” the episode follows Ellie and Mary as they continue investigating Nancy’s death. Imperfect Women season 1 builds on earlier developments, including new information about Robert and changing suspicions surrounding those close to Nancy.

The upcoming chapter focuses on how these details affect the direction of the investigation and the relationships between the characters. As the story progresses, episode 3 presents additional information that may clarify key events while also introducing new questions about what happened.


When does Imperfect Women season 1 episode 3 come out? Release time for all major time zones

Imperfect Women season 1 (Image via Apple TV)Imperfect Women season 1 (Image via Apple TV)
Imperfect Women season 1 (Image via Apple TV)

The third episode of the first season of Imperfect Women is set to be made available to the public on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, on Apple TV+. The new episodes are made available to the public at weekly intervals, as per the weekly release plan. The release plan for the episodes may be slightly different in various regions, but episodes are made available during the same window of time across the world.

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Here is the expected release schedule across major regions:

Region Release Time Release Date
United States (PT) 12:00 AM March 25, 2026
United States (ET) 3:00 AM March 25, 2026
United Kingdom 8:00 AM March 25, 2026
Philippines 3:00 PM March 25, 2026
India 12:30 PM March 25, 2026
Australia 6:00 PM March 25, 2026

Viewers can stream Imperfect Women season 1 exclusively on Apple TV+, where the episode will be available with subtitles upon release.


How many episodes are left in Imperfect Women season 1?

There are a total of eight episodes, and they comprise the first season of Imperfect Women. The third episode is the one to be released next, and there are five more episodes to be released after that. The series is based on a weekly routine, and as new information is made available regarding the investigation, the story is able to develop.

This structure provides support to the major mystery, as it is the central theme of the first season of Imperfect Women. At the same time, it is expected that the upcoming episodes will continue to elaborate on the death of Nancy and the relationships that it entails.

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A brief recap of Imperfect Women season 1 episode 2

During the second episode of the first season of Imperfect Women, fresh information causes the investigation to take a different path. Through her investigation, Eleanor finds out that Robert was aware of Nancy’s affair prior to her passing.

This information presents a potential motivation and makes the relationships that already exist more complicated. At the same time, Eleanor and Robert transcend personal boundaries, which has an impact on the way that she approaches the situation.

In addition, the inquiry undergoes a change when Davide, who was initially considered a main suspect, is given his freedom. His story gives the impression that Nancy was going through some emotional issues that her acquaintances might not have had the opportunity to fully notice.

Mary continues to raise doubts about the official inquiry, demonstrating an elevated level of mistrust in the manner in which the matter is being handled. Due to these circumstances, a number of persons are now in a position to be prospective suspects in the first season of Imperfect Women.

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Major events to expect from Imperfect Women season 1 episode 3

  • Eleanor confronts new information about Robert while dealing with her involvement in recent events. Her decisions may affect both the investigation and her relationships, especially as details about Nancy’s past continue to surface.
  • Mary continues to push for answers outside official channels. Her actions may lead to new discoveries, but they also increase tension with others involved in the case and the ongoing investigation.
  • The narrative introduces additional details about Nancy’s final days. These insights may clarify certain events while raising further questions about who was involved and what led to her death.
  • As part of the investigation, gaps in Eleanor’s timeline are explored. Details that are missing concerning her whereabouts during crucial occasions can become relevant in the future.

Viewers can watch Imperfect Women season 1 episode 3 on Apple TV+ starting March 25, 2026, with new episodes released weekly on the platform.