Boston's Leader Mayor Wu Counters Trump's Warning to Move FIFA World Cup Matches from Boston

Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, indicated that the city was ready for a confrontation with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games from the stadium in Foxborough, situated 22 miles southwest of Boston.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to respond to comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "clean up its act."

Much of it is locked down by contract so that no one, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

She continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and submit or follow along to a divisive plan."

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

Trump's Comments and FIFA Involvement

Recently, Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and given World Cup and club championship trophies to the president as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was asked about recent disturbances in South Boston that involved a police car being set on fire. He responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's phenomenal."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Warnings and 2026 World Cup Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 locations across North America.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be held from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.

James Peck
James Peck

Certified wellness coach and nutritionist passionate about holistic health and sustainable living practices.