🔗 Share this article

Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, suggested that the city was prepared for a face-off with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup matches from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles south-west of the city.

Mayor Wu spoke on a Boston-based podcast this week to address comments from the White House, which had described her as "far-left." Trump had threatened that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "clean up its act."

A great deal of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, to test limits ... repeated warnings ... are issued at individuals and communities who stand their ground and submit or follow along to a hateful agenda."

She also remarked, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." She finished by stressing her commitment for the Boston, declaring, "Fully committed for our city."

The President's Statements and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the Oval Office and given World Cup and Club World Cup awards to Trump as presents.

Earlier, Trump was asked about recent disturbances in South Boston that involved a police car being burned. Trump responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's great."

Trump added, "I would say: '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, saying, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

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

The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be held from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.