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

The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles south-west of the city.

Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to address criticism from the Trump administration, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had warned that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

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

She added, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and submit or follow along to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging Boston's values." She concluded by stressing her support for the Boston, declaring, "Fully committed for Boston."

Trump's Comments and FIFA's Role

Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup awards to the president as presents.

On Tuesday, President Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that included a police car being burned. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's phenomenal."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and Upcoming Tournament Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with Infantino about moving matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from 11 June to July 19 next summer.