🔗 Share this article

The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a dispute with US President Donald Trump concerning his claim that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, situated 22 miles southwest of the city.

Mayor Wu spoke on a Boston-based podcast this week to address criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." Trump had warned that he would call 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 the president, can reverse it.

Wu added, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and submit or be obedient to a divisive plan."

She also remarked, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu finished by stressing her support for the Boston, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Comments and FIFA Role

Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed with President Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and given World Cup and Club World Cup awards to Trump as presents.

Earlier, President Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that included 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 president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

Trump added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He wouldn't love to do 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 taking over parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has previously suggested that he would take the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating matches from other host cities, which are part of the 16 locations across North America.

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