German professional soccer club Werder Bremen will not travel to Minnesota as part on a preseason tour in the U.S. this spring due to the federal government’s immigration crackdown in the state.
Werder Bremen does not specify which club it planned to play in an exhibition game, but Minnesota United typically plays at least one international friendly each season. In 2025, the Loons played fellow German Bundesliga club Holstein Kiel at Allianz Field in St. Paul.
“In Minnesota, two people were shot dead by state authorities,” a Werder Bremen club spokesman was quoted by The Athletic and other outlets. “Playing in a city where there is unrest and people are being shot does not fit our values. That will not happen for us.”
A Minnesota United spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.
The Loons, which have the most-diverse roster in Minnesota pro sports, have had players speak out in fear of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in the state over the last few months.
“People are scared. We are, too,” Loons midfielder Joaquin Pereyra told the Pioneer Press in January. “Fewer and fewer people want to be out on the streets because of what might happen to them.
Pereyra, an Argentine, has obtained a U.S. Green Card, but that does not make him feel safe in Minnesota.
“Whether I’m walking around the neighborhood, at the supermarket, anywhere,” Pereyra said. “… Obviously, that doesn’t guarantee me anything because we’ve seen on the news that people who have had their Green Card and passport in their car, or whatever, are still taken away or treated badly.”
Werder Bremen is considered one of Germany’s most liberal clubs. The German Bundesliga side also planned to go Detroit, where USL Championship team Detroit City FC plays.
The Loons have played others clubs from Germany, England, Mexico, Costa Rica and Ireland since 2014.
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