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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, indicated that the city was prepared for a dispute with US President Donald Trump over his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup matches from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles south-west of Boston.

Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to address comments from the White House, which had described her as "far-left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

A great deal of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even the president, can reverse it.

She added, "We live in a time where for drama, for power, to test limits ... repeated warnings ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and submit or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu concluded by emphasizing her support for the Boston, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."

The President's Statements and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the international summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and given World Cup and club championship trophies to Trump as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was asked about recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police car being burned. He 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 phenomenal."

Trump continued, "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, "Their mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Information

Trump has previously suggested that he would have the same conversation with Infantino about moving games from other host cities, which are among the 16 locations across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19 next summer.