Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Addresses President Trump's Threat to Relocate World Cup Games from Boston
Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, suggested that the municipality was ready for a dispute with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament games from the stadium in Foxborough, situated 22 miles southwest of Boston.
Mayor Wu spoke on a Boston-based podcast this week to address comments from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "far-left." Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."
Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even the president, can change it.
She continued, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, to test limits ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who stand their ground 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 targeting Boston's values." Wu finished by emphasizing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."
Trump's Statements and FIFA Involvement
Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen with President Trump at the international summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and presented World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to the president as gifts.
On Tuesday, President Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that involved a police vehicle being burned. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal."
Trump 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, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"
Previous Threats and 2026 World Cup Details
President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with the FIFA president about moving matches from other host cities, which are among the 16 locations across North America.
The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be held from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.