Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Addresses Trump's Threat to Relocate FIFA World Cup Matches from Boston
Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the city was ready for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament matches from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles south-west of Boston.
Mayor Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to address comments from the White House, which had described 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 secured by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can change it.
Wu added, "We're in a world where for attention, for power, to test limits ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who stand their ground and submit or be obedient to a hateful agenda."
She also remarked, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting Boston's values." She concluded by emphasizing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for our city."
Trump's Comments and FIFA Involvement
Recently, Infantino was photographed with 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 the president as gifts.
On Tuesday, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that included a police vehicle being burned. Trump replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, 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 without hesitation." The president also specifically targeted Wu, saying, "Boston's 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 2026 World Cup Details
Trump has previously suggested 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 US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be held from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.