Boston's Leader Michelle Wu Addresses Trump's Warning to Move World Cup Matches from Boston
Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a face-off with US President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup games from the stadium in Foxborough, located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of the city.
Mayor Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to address criticism from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." President Trump had warned that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."
A great deal of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can reverse it.
She continued, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, to test limits ... ongoing threats ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."
She also remarked, "We will keep 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, saying, "Fully committed for our city."
Trump's Statements and FIFA Role
Recently, Infantino was photographed with President Trump at the Gaza 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, Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that involved a police vehicle being set on fire. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA, who's great."
Trump continued, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also specifically targeted Mayor Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"
Past Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information
Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with Infantino about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 locations across North America.
The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be played from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.
