Def Leppard rocks biggest hits, surprise songs at stunning Las Vegas residency

LAS VEGAS – Even if you've been to aDef Leppardconcert before, you've never seen them like this.

The enduring British quintet kicked off their12-show residencyatThe Colosseum at Caesars PalaceFeb. 3, with a 100-minute blitzkrieg of stunning visuals, frenetic lasers and a setlist deftly curated to hopscotch between nearly 50 years of classics and dashes of newer material that verifies their vitality.

In recent years, Def Leppard hasprimarily played stadiums, arenas and festivals, making the confines of the 4,100-capacity Colosseum feel especially intimate.

The new production designed for this monthlong, mostly sold-out run is spackled with Def Leppard hallmarks – the lighted"Hysteria"-era trianglethat rises and lowers to bookend the show, the 3D graphics of a menacing leopard, the zigzagging lights that prompt sheer euphoria.

It's all delivered around a sleek set that featuresdrummer Rick Allen, his Union Jack headphones firmly in place, atop a platform reachable by lighted stairs, and plenty of open space for the band to roam.

Led by silver fox frontmanJoe Elliott, Def Leppard exudes the confidence of a band that has absolutely nothing left to prove, but wants to, anyway.

More:Biggest tours of 2026, including Bruno Mars, Harry Styles and Rush

GuitaristsPhil Collen– he of ripped bare chest under vest and sparkly sneakers – andVivian Campbell– unassuming cool in dark glasses – frequently crisscrossed on stage, their dual guitar attack so integral to Def Leppard's sound.

The band, which has played two previous Las Vegas residencies since 2013, kicked off the show with their new song,"Rejoice."Filled with layered harmonies and a gripping drum loop, it sounds likeclassic Def Leppardwith a glow-up.

As Elliott told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview at Caesars Palace following the band's final rehearsal, the goal of new music is "not to sound old-fashioned, but at the same time maintain our identity. ("Rejoice") has all the ingredients – great guitar riffs, melodies, drama. We like a bit of onstage drama; we don't like drama in the dressing room."

Casual fans of the band's abundant hits –"Animal,"Armageddon It"and "Love Bites" among the smashes from 1987's 12-million-selling "Hysteria" album and"Bringin' on the Heartbreak"and "Foolin'" from earlier that decade among them – can devour the familiar. But what makes this residency special are the outliers.

In 2018,Def Leppard recorded a coverof Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" for a hits collection, yet never performed it live.

Until now, where the dark electronica of the original paired perfectly with Def Leppard's chiming guitars and a flurry of white lights added to the vibe.

The band also hadn't played their hit version ofDavid Essex's "Rock On"since 2019. The clever live production finds cool cat bassist Rick Savage thrumming out a solo before dovetailing into the song's familiar opening riff, which gives Elliott enough time to dash to the top level of the theater to belt the evocative anthem.

Diehard fans will appreciate the resurrection of"White Lightning,"a 1992 "Adrenalize" track written in tribute to Steve Clark, the band's early guitarist who died in 1991. Elliott clearly had his old friend top of mind at song's end as he raised his fist and blew a kiss skyward.

The endurance of Def Leppard is not only due to their stability. Yes, they're one of the few rock bands to boast an original/longtime lineup and yes, while all of the members are in their 60's, they still ooze rock star fire.

More:Styx's Tommy Shaw talks Vegas shows, favorite blanket and why he loves bus tours

Elliott's voice, while occasionally husky on the high notes in "Rocket" and "Photograph" (a visual nostalgia-fest showcasing a retrospective of the band in, well, photos), still contains plenty of heft. And the blistering fretwork from Collen and Campbell injects every Def Leppard song with adrenaline.

But it's the band's atypical ability to experiment without altering their musical DNA that adds to their legend.

The underappreciated,near-electronica "Slang"has returned after several years and the combination of zippy neon green lighting, a mid-song detour into David Bowie's "Fame" and Elliott's stroll through the crowd to slap hands with fans made it a set highlight.

But Def Leppard can just as adroitly spin into the defiant"Rock of Ages"(complete with a special feathered guest to handle its illustrious "gunter glieben" intro) or the delicate guitar strains and emotional longing of"Hysteria."

The band famously sings in "Rock of Ages" that "it's better to burn out than fade away." But Def Leppard has proven yet again that it won't be doing either any time soon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Def Leppard blazes through new Las Vegas residency

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

Def Leppard rocks biggest hits, surprise songs at stunning Las Vegas residency

LAS VEGAS – Even if you've been to aDef Leppardconcert before, you've never seen them like this. The end...

Read More

Queen Camilla Ignores Questions on Epstein Investigation and His Victims During School Visit

JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Queen Camilla faced questions from a reporter about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and his victims during a royal visit to a school

• It came one day after Prince Edward briefly addressed the scandal

• The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson appeared in emails and photos in the latest release of Epstein-related documents by the Department of Justice

Queen Camillawas faced with questions about the royal family's reaction to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and his victims after the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, appeared in files recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Queen, 77, arrived at London's Christ Church Primary School for a planned engagement to help mark the National Year of Reading on Feb. 4, when a reporter asked the royal questions as she exited her car.

In a video shared by ITV News on social media, a reporter is heard saying, "Good morning, Your Majesty, good morning. Will the royal family help the Epstein investigation? Do you have a message for Epstein's victims, Your Majesty?"

Queen Camilla ignored the questions, heading straight into the school and shaking hands with a greeter just inside.

The Queen didn't respond when asked if she had a message for Epstein's victimshttps://t.co/VJzFCNJxGzpic.twitter.com/qm24AsHrgE

— ITV News (@itvnews)February 4, 2026

Just one day prior to the Queen's questioning,Prince Edwardmadebrief remarks about the matterat the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Feb. 3, becoming the first member of the royal family to address it since the latest files were released. He told CNN's Eleni Giokos: "Well, with the best will in the world. I'm not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that. They all came here to listen to education, solving the future."

"But no, I think it's all really important always to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this, a lot of victims in all this," Prince Edward said.

Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamfaced aheckler during their Jan. 20 visit to Scotland. The Prince and Princess of Wales did not react to the person calling out after they arrived at The Gothenburg pub, who asked repeatedly, "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?

Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Newly released documents link Andrew, 65, and Ferguson, 66, to Epstein, including numerous email exchanges that took place after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution.

In onemessage dated Jan. 30, 2010, Ferguson allegedly wrote, "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness." In another exchange fromAug. 3, 2009, she thanked Epstein for helping her with brand deals and "being the brother I have always wished for."

Other emails from the new batch of Epstein-related evidence includedisturbing commentsabout Andrew and Ferguson's two daughters,Princess Beatrice, now 37, andPrincess Eugenie, now 35. In one, Epstein asked Ferguson about a possible upcoming trip to New York, to which she replied, "Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!"

In addition, new photos from the Jan. 30 releaseshow Andrew kneeling on all foursover an unidentified woman on the ground.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Andrew'sroyal titles and honors were strippedby King Charles in the fall amid renewed interest in his and Ferguson's ties to Epstein.

Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and a representative for Ferguson had no comment when PEOPLE reached out about these latest emails.

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

Queen Camilla Ignores Questions on Epstein Investigation and His Victims During School Visit

JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP via Getty NEED TO KNOW Queen Camilla faced questions from a reporter about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation a...

Read More

Jennifer Garner Reveals She Bit Off a 'Chunk' of a Stunt Performer's Ear 'Like Mike Tyson': 'Don't Make Me Mad'

VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty; Alamy Stock Photo

NEED TO KNOW

• Jennifer Garner revealed that she once bit off a portion of a stunt performer's ear while filming a fight sequence for her 2007 movie The Kingdom

• Garner reunited with the stunt performer in question, Sala Baker, for the upcoming season of her Apple TV series The Last Thing He Told Me

• The Last Thing He Told Me's second season begins streaming Feb. 20

Jennifer Garneris revealing she once pulled off a feat more commonly associated with boxerMike Tyson.

Garner, 53, told reporters at a Tuesday, Feb. 3 press day for her Apple TV seriesThe Last Thing He Told Mein Santa Monica, Calif. that she once bit a portion of a stunt performer's ear off while filming a fight sequence for her 2007 movieThe Kingdom, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.

After Garner and her costarNicolaj Coster-Waldaupresented a scene fromThe Last Thing He Told Me'supcoming season, in which Garner performs a fight sequence with actor and stunt performer Sala Baker, the actress noted that she previously worked with Baker onThe Kingdom.

"Pete Berg, who was the director, told him to try to kill me. We did not have a lot of choreography, and he told me to do anything I could to survive," she recalled. "He did, and I did, and I ended up scrambling onto his back. I bit his ear, and we have a picture of him missing a chunk of ear, because we were not kidding."

Garner also noted that when she and Baker reunited forThe Last Thing He Told Me, the series' crew asked him, " 'Can you be careful with her?' " "I was like, 'No, no, no, no, he's not going to be careful. I'm not going to be careful. Just back out of the way. I have a score to settle here.' And Sal was with us the entire season," she said. "So prepare yourselves."

Alamy Stock Photo

Garner specifically said that she bit Baker's ear "like Mike Tyson," when Coster-Waldau asked her further about the incident. Tyson, 59, was famously disqualified from a boxing match against Evander Holyfield in 1997 after hebit off a portion of Holyfield's ear. "Why are you all looking as if this is a great thing? What is wrong with you people?" Coster-Waldau jested.

"Don't make me mad. I seem nice. I've warned you before," Garner responded with a smile, perTHR.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Garner costarred with Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman inThe Kingdom, an action-thriller that follows a group of FBI agents who travel to Saudi Arabia to investigate terror attacks on American and Saudi citizens in the country.

The Last Thing He Told Me's second season begins streaming on Apple TV Feb. 20.

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

Jennifer Garner Reveals She Bit Off a 'Chunk' of a Stunt Performer's Ear 'Like Mike Tyson': 'Don't Make Me Mad'

VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty; Alamy Stock Photo NEED TO KNOW Jennifer Garner revealed that she once bit off a portion of a stunt perform...

Read More

Body found on Cyprus beach identified as missing Russian businessman once detained in Belarus

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Authorities in Cyprus said Wednesday a body discovered last month on a beach along the country's southern coastline has been identified as the former chief executive of Russia's largest potash company who had been detained in Belarus in 2013 on charges of harming the Belarusian economy.

Police on a British military base in Cyprus said DNA analysis confirm the body is that of Vladislav Baumgertner, 53, who went missing from his home in the coastal city of Limassol on Jan. 7. Baumgertner's body was found a week later on Avdimou beach.

An investigation into the circumstances as well as the cause of Baumgertner's death is ongoing, according to the British Sovereign Base Areas police. Baumgertner's relatives have been notified. Avdimou lies inside one of two military bases on Cyprus that the U.K. retained after the island gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960. The bases have their own police force and courts.

Baumgertner was the CEO ofUralkali when Belarusian authoritiesplaced him under house arrest in September 2013 after a dispute between his company and its Belarusian trading partner escalated.

He was released two months later and extradited to Russia where prosecutors launched a criminal probe against him on abuse of office charges.

At the time, analysts had attributed Baumgertner's arrest to retaliation for Uralkali's decision to pull out of a joint venture.

Uralkali and state-owned Belarusian Potash Co. had been exporting the commodity — a key ingredient in fertilizer — through a joint venture that at the time accounted for about a quarter of the world's potash.

Uralkali pulled out of the trading venture after accusing the government in Minsk of allowing the state-owned company to export potash independently.

Uralkali's withdrawal left Belarusian Potash Co. with virtually no qualified staff and raised fears of a price war. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Uralkali and Baumgertner's actions harmed his country's economy.

Baumgartner had been living in Cyprus for several years. He had reportedly been staying in an apartment above his place of business in Limassol that thousands of Russian expatriates have made their home.

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

Body found on Cyprus beach identified as missing Russian businessman once detained in Belarus

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Authorities in Cyprus said Wednesday a body discovered last month on a beach along the country...

Read More

A key nuclear weapons treaty is ending. It’s a blow to Russia’s ‘superpower’ myth

Since the collapse of the old Soviet Union, Russia has cut a substantially diminished figure on the international stage.

The breakup, back in 1991, of what US President Ronald Reagan once dubbed an "evil empire" left the Kremlin with less territory, less financial muscle and less influence around the globe.

But Russia retained its clout in one crucial area.

Its continued status as a nuclear superpower, on a roughly equal footing with the United States, guaranteed even a weakened Moscow a place at the top table of international diplomacy.

At nuclear summits, the Kremlin's leader could grandly sit across from the incumbent in the White House – just like in the glory days of the Cold War – to decide on matters of international security.

In 2010, then-US President Barack Obama and his briefly empowered Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, did just that, agreeing the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which was hailed at the time by the White House as "historic." The New START treaty limits both countries to a maximum of 1,550 deployed long-range nuclear warheads on delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and bombers.

But those days, like the New START treaty itself that expires on Thursday, now appear to be over.

The demise of the last arms control deal between the US and Russia – which Washington repeatedly accused Moscow of violating by denying inspections of Russian nuclear facilities – has been brushed off by the Trump administration, with the US president himself shrugging off the terrifying prospect of a world without nuclear limits.

"If it expires, it expires,"Trump quipped in January, while suggesting a "better" deal may eventually be done.

That distinct lack of urgency from Washington stands in stark contrast to the anxiety in Moscow, where there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the arms reduction issue.

Speaking to journalists in Moscow as the expiry of the New START treaty loomed, Medvedev – no longer president but an outspoken security official on the margins of power – warned of the danger of allowing the deal to lapse. He suggested it would speed up the "Doomsday Clock," the symbolic representation of how close humanity is to destroying the world.

Advertisement

"I don't want to say that this immediately means a catastrophe and a nuclear war will begin, but it should still alarm everyone," Medvedev added.

The Kremlin certainly seems alarmed.

It's proposal to extend the terms of New START has, according to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, so far been met with silence from the US side, threatening to unleash a new era of insecurity.

"For the first time, the United States and Russia, the two countries that possess the world's largest nuclear arsenals, will be left without a fundamental document that would limit and establish controls over these arsenals," Peskov told journalists on a recent conference call focused on the nuclear issue.

"We believe this is very bad for global and strategic security," he added, pressing on fears likely to be shared around much of the world.

But the Kremlin's expressions of concern may be more self-interested and strategic than they are prepared to admit.

Apart from being deprived of an arms-reduction platform that grandstands one of their last remaining vestiges of Soviet-era power, Moscow is now facing a future of potentially unconstrained US nuclear expansion.

The Trump administration has, for example, already re-floated the idea of nuclear-armed "Trump-class" battleships, a Cold War era policy that was abandoned decades ago.

The old Soviet Union could have matched it. But with an economy and a defense budget that are a fraction of Washington's, Moscow has virtually no hope of keeping up – exacerbating the already vast gap in power and leverage between the old rivals.

Of course, the US has its own reasons for allowing nuclear arms control with Russia to lapse, not least its desire to include China, an emerging nuclear power, in future agreements.

But the expiry of New START marks the end of an era, not just of "superpower" arms control treaties that focused exclusively on Moscow and Washington, but also of one in which the US was willing to accept nuclear limits.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

A key nuclear weapons treaty is ending. It’s a blow to Russia’s ‘superpower’ myth

Since the collapse of the old Soviet Union, Russia has cut a substantially diminished figure on the international stage. ...

Read More

Trump's border czar pulling 700 immigration officers out of Minnesota immediately

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue itsenforcement operationthat has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday.

About 700 federal officers — roughly a quarter of the total deployed to Minnesota — will be withdrawn immediately after state and local officials agreed over the past week to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants, Homan said.

But he did not provide a timeline for when the administration might endthe operationthat hasbecome a flashpointin the debate over President Donald Trump'smass deportation effortssince the fatal shootings of U.S. citizensRenee GoodandAlex Prettiin Minneapolis.

About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week's drawdown, Homan said. That's roughly the same number sent to Minnesota in early January when the surge ramped up, kicking off what the Department of Homeland Security called its "largest immigration enforcement operationever."

Since then, masked, heavily armed officers have been met byresistance from residentswho are upset with their aggressive tactics.

A widespread pullout, Homan said, will occur only after protesters stop interfering with federal agents carrying out arrests and setting up roadblocks to impede the operations.

Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats who have heavily criticized the surge, said pulling back 700 officers was a good first step but that the entire operation should end quickly.

"We need a faster and larger drawdown of forces,state-led investigationsinto the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution," Walz posted on social media.

Vice President JD Vance said the officers being sent home were mainly in Minneapolis to protect those carrying out arrests. "We're not drawing down the immigration enforcement," Vance said in an interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show."

Trump administration has pushed for cooperation in Minnesota

Trump's border czartook over the Minnesota operation in late January after thesecond fatal shootingby federal officers and amidgrowing political backlashand questions about how the operation was being run.

Homan said right away that federal officials could reduce the number of agents in Minnesota, but only with the cooperation of state and local officials. He pushed for jails to alert Immigration and Customs Enforcement about inmates who could be deported, saying transferring those inmates to ICE is safer because it means fewer officers have to be out looking for people in the country illegally.

Homan said during a news conference Wednesday that there has been an "increase in unprecedented collaboration" resulting in the need for fewer public safety officers in Minnesota and a safer environment, allowing for the withdrawal of the 700 officers.

He didn't say which jurisdictions have been cooperating with DHS

The Trump administration has long complained that places known as sanctuary jurisdictions — a term applied to local governments that limit law enforcement cooperation with the department — hinder the arrest of criminal immigrants.

Advertisement

Minnesota officials say its state prisons and nearly all of the county sheriffs already cooperate with immigration authorities.

But the two county jails that serve Minneapolis and St. Paul and take in the most inmates had not previously met ICE's standard of full cooperation, although they both hand over inmates to federal authorities if an arrest warrant has been signed by a judge.

The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, which serves Minneapolis and several suburbs, said its policies have not changed. The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office in neighboring St. Paul did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Border czar calls Minnesota operation a success

Homan said he thinks the ICE operation in Minnesota has been a success, checking off a list of people wanted for violent crimes who were taken off the streets.

"I think it's very effective as far as public safety goes," he said Wednesday. "Was it a perfect operation? No."

He also made clear that pulling a chunk of federal officers out of Minnesota isn't a sign that the administration is backing down. "We are not surrendering the president's mission on a mass deportation operation," Homan said.

"You're not going to stop ICE. You're not going to stop Border Patrol," Homan said of the ongoing protests. "The only thing you're doing is irritating your community"

Schools ask court to block immigration operations

Two Minnesota school districts and a teachers union filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block federal authorities from conducting immigration enforcement at or around schools.

The lawsuit says actions by DHS and its ICE officers have disrupted classes, endangered students and driven families away from schools.

It also argues that Operation Metro Surge has marked a shift in policy that removed long-standing limits on enforcement activity in "sensitive locations," including schools.

Homeland Security officials have not responded to a request for comment.

Associated Press reporters Corey Williams in Detroit; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Moriah Balingit in Washington contributed.

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

Trump's border czar pulling 700 immigration officers out of Minnesota immediately

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue...

Read More

Why a 2026 World Cup boycott is unlikely to be successful

Calls for a European-led World Cup boycott have grown louder and louder in recent weeks. Yet the possibility one could happen is "slim to none," said Alan Rothenberg, a man who knows a little bit about both World Cups and boycotts.

Rothenberg organized the soccer tournament at the 1984 L.A. Games, which was boycotted by 19 countries. Ten years later, he led the organization that put on the 1994 World Cup, the first held in the U.S. and still the best-attended in history.

So while politicians and soccer officials in several key European countries — Germany, France, Denmark and the United Kingdom, among others — haveraised the idea of skipping this summer's World Cup, largely in response to President Trump's demands that Denmark hand over Greenland, Rothenberg knows that talk is all bluster.

A boycott is not likely to happen for a number of reasons.

Read more:German soccer leader adds to calls for boycott of World Cup matches in United States

For starters the World Cup is run by the same organization, FIFA, which sanctions virtually every level of soccer globally, from the men's and women's World Cups, to confederation competitions including the UEFA Championships and the Copa América, to most major age-group tournaments. And since it both writes and enforces its own laws, it can ban a federation — and, by extension, its national teams — from any and all competitions.

So imagine the price a single country, say Spain, would pay for refusing to play World Cup games in the U.S. FIFA could ban its national team from the Euros and its women's team from next summer's World Cup, costing the federation millions of dollars in revenue. It could also prohibit Spanish youth teams from participating in age-group competitions and cut Spain off from any FIFA funding.

Consider the case of Russia. After that country invaded neighboring Ukraine in the winter of 2022, FIFA — under enormous international pressure — banned Russia from international soccer completely, barring it from competing in qualifying for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups and keeping it out of the 2024 Euros.

As a result, Russia has not played in a competitive match since November 2021.

(FIFA's penalties can be arbitrary and maddeningly inconsistent, however. In 2014, four days after the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia invaded Ukraine the first time, annexing Crimea. Yet less than four months later Russia played in the World Cup and four years later it hosted the tournament, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino sitting beside Vladimir Putin, who ordered both the 2014 and 2022 invasions. Now Infantino is pushing to lift the sanctions on Russia completely despite the fact Putin has stepped up the war, bombing civilians and resisting calls for peace.)

No country has boycotted a World Cup since World War II, though Olympic boycotts have been more frequent with coalitions of as many as five dozen countries refusing to take part in the Summer Games four times between 1956 and 1984.

Those protests were largely coordinated by politicians, not athletes or their federations. President Carter led the largest boycott, rallying more than 60 nations to skip the 1980 Moscow Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Four years later, a group of mostly Soviet Bloc countries stayed home from the L.A. Olympics in response.

No World Cup boycott could hope to succeed without a similar coalition and that's unlikely to happen. But that hasn't stopped people from talking about one just the same.

Read more:California lawmakers flag concerns about World Cup visas, ban threats and ticket prices

In Germany, Oke Gottlich, one of the German soccer federation's 11 vice presidents, said last month that it's time to "seriously consider a boycott." Bernd Neuendorf, the federation president, said the idea was not "a major debate at all," calling it "completely misguided."

Last Saturday, Germany officially ruled out a boycott.

In France, where politicians have discussed a boycott, sports minister Marina Ferrari and Philippe Diallo, president of the country's soccer federation, both dismissed such talk out of hand.

Still, the idea isn't completely dead. Mogens Jensen, who serves in the Danish parliament, said a World Cup boycott was "one of the last tools in the toolbox" and said if the U.S. were to instigate a real conflict, then a "boycott discussion in very, very relevant."

Still, as improbable as a boycott may be, keeping alive the possibility may be just as effective as actually following through with it. Talk of some sort of World Cup protest, for example, may have played a part in Trump's decision to back off his threats of invading Greenland, the issue that has most angered Europeans.

But that's not the only issue. Coverage of immigration raids in Minnesota and threats by Trump — the host of the U.S. portion of the World Cup — to bomb Iran (a World Cup qualifier) after using the military to extract the president of Venezuela have created a vision of violence and chaos in the U.S. that has frightened and appalled many in Europe.

"I don't know what things are going to look like in June," said Andrew Bertoli, an assistant professor at IE University in Segovia, Spain, and an expert on the social and political effects of sports. "But the perceptions right now are the United States is in a very volatile political situation and it's very unusual."

If national soccer federations feel trapped between a rock and the World Cup, however, there's nothing to keep fans from voting with their wallets and electing to stay home.

Others have opted to attend matches only in Mexico or Canada, which are sharing hosting duties with the U.S., while some have changed their mind about coming to the tournament at all and have reportedly begun reselling their tickets. FIFA will benefit from the change in plans, gaining a 15% fee from the seller and a 15% fee from the buyer of resold tickets.

"I absolutely think that could prevent tourists from going to the United States," said Bertoli, the Segovia professor.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared inLos Angeles Times.

byDonna Devi

in

February 04, 2026

Why a 2026 World Cup boycott is unlikely to be successful

Calls for a European-led World Cup boycott have grown louder and louder in recent weeks. Yet the possibility one could happen is "slim...

Read More