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Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, suggested that the municipality was ready for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump regarding his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament matches from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles south-west of Boston.

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

Much of it is secured 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 drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."

Mayor Wu also remarked, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging what Boston stands for." She finished by stressing her commitment for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Statements and FIFA Role

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

On Tuesday, President Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being burned. Trump replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's great."

Trump added, "I would say: '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 Mayor Wu, stating, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

Trump has previously suggested that he would take the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is planned to be played from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.