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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, suggested that the municipality was prepared for a dispute with US President Donald Trump concerning his claim that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup matches from Gillette Stadium, located approximately 35 kilometers south-west of Boston.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to address criticism from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

Much of it is secured by agreement so that no single person, even the president, can change it.

She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, to test limits ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who stand their ground and submit or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging Boston's values." She finished by emphasizing her commitment for the city, saying, "Fully committed for our city."

The President's Comments and FIFA Role

Recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also visited the White House and presented World Cup tournament and club championship trophies to the president as gifts.

On Tuesday, President Trump was asked about recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being burned. Trump responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the president of the organization, who's great."

He continued, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also specifically targeted Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Warnings and 2026 World Cup Details

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating games from other host cities, which are among the 16 host cities across the continent.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July next summer.