Boston Mayor Mayor Wu Counters Trump's Warning to Move FIFA World Cup Matches from City
The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a dispute with US President Donald Trump concerning his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of the city.
Wu spoke on a Boston-based podcast recently to address comments from the Trump administration, which had described her as "far-left." President Trump had threatened that he would call the head of FIFA if Boston did not "improve its situation."
A great deal of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even the president, can change it.
She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and submit or follow along to a divisive plan."
Mayor Wu also remarked, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." Wu finished by stressing her commitment for the city, saying, "Fully committed for our city."
The President's Comments and FIFA Role
Recently, Infantino was photographed alongside Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup tournament and club championship trophies to Trump as presents.
Earlier, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being set on fire. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."
He added, "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." Trump also directly criticized Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"
Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information
President Trump has previously suggested that he would have the same conversation with Infantino about moving matches from other host cities, which are part of the 16 host cities across the continent.
The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is planned to be held from 11 June to July 19 next summer.