Boston Mayor Mayor Wu Responds to Trump's Threat to Relocate FIFA World Cup Games from City
The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, indicated that the city was ready for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump regarding his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Boston.
Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to address criticism from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "far-left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."
Much of it is locked down by contract so that no one, even the president, can undo it.
Wu continued, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are issued at people and cities who stand their ground and submit or be obedient to a divisive plan."
Mayor Wu further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu finished by stressing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for Boston."
The President's Statements and FIFA's Role
Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also visited the White House and presented World Cup and club championship awards to Trump as gifts.
Earlier, President Trump was questioned on unrest in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police car being set on fire. Trump responded, "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."
He added, "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." Trump also specifically targeted Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"
Previous Threats and Upcoming Tournament Details
President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating games from other host cities, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.
The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from 11 June to 19 July next summer.
