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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, implied that the municipality 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 Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles southwest of the city.

Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to address comments from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "radical left." Trump had warned 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 the president, can undo it.

She added, "We're in a world where for attention, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who stand their ground and submit or follow along to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu also remarked, "We will keep being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." Wu concluded 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 Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup awards to Trump as gifts.

On Tuesday, Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that involved a police vehicle being set on fire. Trump responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

Trump added, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 locations across the continent.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is planned to be played from June 11 to July 19 in the coming year.