🔗 Share this article

The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the city was ready for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump regarding his claim that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated approximately 35 kilometers south-west of the city.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast recently to address comments from the Trump administration, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

Much of it is secured by contract so that no single person, even the president, can undo it.

Wu continued, "We live in a time where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a hateful agenda."

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 Boston's values." She concluded by emphasizing her commitment for the Boston, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Statements and FIFA's Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen with President Trump at the international summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and given World Cup tournament and club championship awards to the president as gifts.

Earlier, President Trump was asked about recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being set on fire. He responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, who's great."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: '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 specifically targeted Mayor Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Threats and Upcoming Tournament Details

Trump has previously suggested that he would take the same conversation with Infantino about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 locations across the continent.

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