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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, indicated that the city was prepared for a dispute with President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament games from Gillette Stadium, situated approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Boston.

Wu spoke on a local podcast recently to answer comments from the Trump administration, which had described her as "far-left." President Trump had warned that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "clean up its act."

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 continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She further stated, "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." Wu concluded by emphasizing her support for the Boston, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."

Trump's Comments and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and presented World Cup and Club World Cup awards to the president as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police car being set on fire. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the head of FIFA, who's great."

He added, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also specifically targeted Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Details

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with Infantino about moving matches from other host cities, which are among the 16 locations across North America.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.