Boston's Leader Mayor Wu Responds to President Trump's Threat to Move FIFA World Cup Matches from Boston
The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the city was prepared for a face-off with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located 22 miles south-west of the city.
Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast recently to address comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." Trump had warned that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "address its issues."
Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can undo it.
Wu continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at people and cities who stand their ground and comply or follow along to a hateful agenda."
She also remarked, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." Wu finished by emphasizing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."
The President's Comments and FIFA Role
Earlier this week, Infantino was seen with Trump at the international summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and given World Cup and club championship trophies to Trump as presents.
Earlier, Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being set on fire. Trump responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's great."
Trump added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"
Past Threats and Upcoming Tournament Details
Trump has made previous comments that he would have the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 host cities across the continent.
The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July next summer.
