Boston Mayor Mayor Wu Addresses President Trump's Threat to Move World Cup Games from Boston

Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the city was prepared for a dispute with US President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup games from the stadium in Foxborough, located 22 miles southwest of Boston.

Mayor Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast recently to address criticism from the White House, which had described her as "far-left." Trump had warned that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even the president, can change it.

She continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She further stated, "We will keep being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." She concluded by stressing her commitment for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Comments and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed with Trump at the international summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to the president as gifts.

On Tuesday, Trump was asked about recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that included a police vehicle being set on fire. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's phenomenal."

Trump added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, saying, "Their mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with the FIFA president about moving games from other host cities, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.