Werder Bremen cancel May 2026 United States tour over political concerns and entry doubts | OneFootball

Werder Bremen have cancelled their May 2026 summer tour to the United States, citing the political situation in Minnesota and uncertainty over player entry. The decision was confirmed in January.

The trip was scheduled for Minnesota, with Minneapolis having, since late January, become a symbol of violent actions by US immigration agency ICE that killed residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Filbry’s comments were reported by Deich Stube.

Filbry said two people had been shot dead by law enforcement in Minnesota, and that playing in a troubled city where people are being killed by gunfire did not align with the club’s values. He said it would not happen there.

The Bundesliga club also feared some players might be refused entry because stricter conditions now apply, including a review of social media profiles from the past five years.

Sportingly, the plan could have been derailed anyway. Werder are 16th in the Bundesliga, and if they finish there they would face relegation play-offs on 22 and 26 May, when the club had initially planned to be in the United States.

Source: L'Équipe