🔗 Share this article

Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, indicated that the city was ready for a confrontation with President Donald Trump over his claim that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated approximately 35 kilometers southwest of the city.

Mayor Wu spoke on a local podcast this week to address comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "far-left." President Trump had threatened that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

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

She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and submit or follow along to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu also remarked, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu finished by stressing her support for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen with Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also visited the White House and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup awards to the president as presents.

Earlier, President Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being burned. He responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the president of FIFA, who's great."

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." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Previous Threats and Upcoming Tournament Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be held from 11 June to 19 July next summer.