Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Counters Trump's Threat to Move World Cup Matches from City

Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, indicated that the city was ready for a dispute with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of Boston.

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

A great deal of it is locked down by contract so that no one, even the president, can change it.

Wu added, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, to test limits ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who stand their ground and submit or follow along to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." She concluded by emphasizing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."

The President's Comments and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and given World Cup tournament and club championship awards to the president as presents.

On Tuesday, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being burned. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the head of FIFA, who's great."

Trump continued, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Their mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has previously suggested that he would have the similar discussion with the FIFA president about moving matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19 next summer.