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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, indicated that the city was ready for a face-off with President Donald Trump regarding his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of the city.

Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to respond to criticism from the Trump administration, which had described her as "far-left." Trump had warned 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 one, even the president, can reverse it.

Wu added, "We live in a time where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down 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 part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." She finished by stressing her commitment for the Boston, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA's Role

Recently, Infantino was seen with President Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the White House and given World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to the president as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that involved a police car being burned. He responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also specifically targeted Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Previous Threats and Upcoming Tournament Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with Infantino about relocating games from other host cities, which are among the 16 host cities across the continent.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be played from 11 June to July 19 next summer.