Boston's Leader Mayor Wu Addresses President Trump's Warning to Move FIFA World Cup Games from City

The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, indicated that the city was prepared for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup matches from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles southwest of Boston.

Wu spoke on a local podcast this week to address criticism from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had warned that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

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

She added, "We live in a time where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We will keep being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting Boston's values." She finished by emphasizing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Role

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

On Tuesday, President Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that involved a police vehicle being burned. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, who's phenomenal."

Trump continued, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 host cities across the continent.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is planned to be held from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.