🔗 Share this article

Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, implied that the city was ready for a face-off with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located 22 miles southwest of Boston.

Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to answer criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can reverse it.

Wu added, "We live in a time where for attention, for control, to test limits ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who stand their ground and comply or be obedient to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." She finished by stressing her commitment for the city, saying, "Fully committed for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the White House and given World Cup and club championship awards to Trump as presents.

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 great."

He added, "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 Mayor Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

President Trump has previously suggested that he would have the same conversation with the FIFA president about moving matches from other host cities, which are part of the 16 locations across the continent.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to July 19 in the coming year.