Boston's Leader Mayor Wu Addresses Trump's Threat to Move World Cup Games from Boston
The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a dispute with President Donald Trump over his claim that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament matches from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles south-west of Boston.
Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to address comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." 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 the president, can undo it.
She continued, "We're in a world where for attention, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a divisive plan."
Mayor Wu also remarked, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging Boston's values." She finished by stressing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."
The President's Statements and FIFA's Involvement
Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the international summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and presented World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to the president as presents.
On Tuesday, Trump was questioned on unrest in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being set on fire. Trump responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's great."
Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also specifically targeted Wu, stating, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"
Previous Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Details
President Trump has previously suggested that he would take the similar discussion with Infantino about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 host cities across North America.
The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.
