🔗 Share this article

Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, indicated that the municipality was ready for a face-off with US President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament games from the stadium in Foxborough, situated 22 miles southwest of Boston.

Mayor Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast recently to address comments from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "far-left." Trump had threatened that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is secured by agreement so that no one, even the president, can reverse it.

Wu added, "We live in a time where for attention, 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 are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." She finished by stressing her support for the city, saying, "Fully committed for our city."

Trump's Comments and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen with Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and presented World Cup tournament and Club World Cup trophies to the president as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that involved a police vehicle being set on fire. He replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, who's great."

Trump added, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and Upcoming Tournament Details

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

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