The FIFA World Cup trophy Photo: VCG

A British lawmaker has suggested that football teams should boycott the upcoming World Cup in North America from June 11 to July 19 in response to US President Donald Trump's actions over Greenland, CNN reported on Tuesday. An expert said that though the likelihood of such a proposal being approved remains low, it serves as a form of "soft resistance" against US' unilateral bullying, using the politicization of sports as a means of expression.

The remarks were made by UK conservative MP Simon Hoare during a debate on arctic security on Monday, accusing Trump of disrespecting his allies and suggesting the UK respond in kind.

"Should the state visit [by King Charles to the US] go ahead this year? Should football teams play in American stadia for the World Cup? These are things which would embarrass the president at home. We now need to fight fire with fire," he said.

According to CNN, Liberal Democrat MP Luke Taylor echoed those sentiments.

"I want to agree with the honorable member for North Dorset (Hoare) and ask the government if they will consider removing the king's visit to the United States and also a boycott of the World Cup to show Donald Trump that the only thing he responds to is his own pride," he said.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper responded to such suggestions by saying the UK would continue to pursue diplomacy with the US.

The suggestion came during a debate on Arctic security on Monday, after British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on the UK and European allies until a deal is struck for the US to take over Greenland was "completely wrong," according to a BBC report.

According to the Guardian, there is a growing sense of embarrassment among mid-level and senior officials within FIFA over the awarding of its peace prize to Donald Trump, after the US president was handed the award at the World Cup draw in Washington DC in December with the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino.

It is understood that Infantino has been left to deal with the "political matters" concerning Trump for the World Cup as others fear it may tarnish their reputations. "Involving myself in the politics surrounding this World Cup is something I stay far away from. My job concerns football on the pitch and nothing else," a FIFA source said, per the Guardian.

"Like other European countries, the UK is deeply angered by the US ambition to purchase territory. The proposal to boycott the World Cup also reflects a desire among the British public to condemn the US," Zhao Junjie, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that though the likelihood of the British lawmaker's proposal being approved and implemented remains low.

However, Zhao said that at this stage such proposals function more as psychological signaling. What is clear, he added, is that the transatlantic relations have undergone notable changes. That said, this is a gradual process, and even if accelerated, it will take a long time to unfold.