Boston's Leader Michelle Wu Counters Trump's Threat to Relocate FIFA World Cup Matches from City
The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the city was ready for a dispute with US President Donald Trump regarding his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, located approximately 35 kilometers south-west of the city.
Mayor Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to address criticism 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 "clean up its act."
Much of it is secured by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can undo it.
Wu continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a hateful agenda."
Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." She concluded by emphasizing her commitment for the Boston, declaring, "Fully committed for our city."
The President's Statements and FIFA's Role
Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup and Club World Cup awards to Trump as presents.
Earlier, President Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that involved a police car being burned. He responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal."
He added, "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 specifically targeted Mayor Wu, saying, "Their mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"
Previous Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Details
President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the same conversation with Infantino about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across the continent.
The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July next summer.
