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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, suggested that the municipality was prepared for a confrontation with President Donald Trump regarding his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located 22 miles southwest of Boston.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to respond to comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "far-left." President Trump had threatened that he would call the head of FIFA if Boston did not "address its issues."

Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can undo it.

She added, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who stand their ground and comply or be obedient to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging Boston's values." She finished by stressing her support for the city, saying, "Fully committed for Boston."

The President's Statements and FIFA Involvement

Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the Oval Office and presented World Cup and club championship trophies to the president as gifts.

Earlier, President Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that included a police car being set on fire. 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 great."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also specifically targeted Mayor Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Details

President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with the FIFA president about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is planned to be held from 11 June to July 19 in the coming year.