🔗 Share this article Boston Mayor Mayor Wu Responds to Trump's Warning to Move FIFA World Cup Matches from City Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, suggested that the city was prepared for a dispute with President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of the city. Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to address criticism from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had warned that he would call the head of FIFA if Boston did not "clean up its act." Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even the president, can change it. Wu continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are issued at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a hateful agenda." Mayor Wu also remarked, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." Wu finished by stressing her support for the city, saying, "Ten toes down for our city." The President's Statements and FIFA's Involvement Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed with President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and presented World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to Trump as presents. On Tuesday, Trump was asked about recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being burned. He 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 phenomenal." He added, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also directly criticized Wu, stating, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?" Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Details President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating games from other host cities, which are part of the 16 host cities across North America. The US is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is planned to be held from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.