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The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the municipality was ready for a face-off with US President Donald Trump over his claim that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Boston.

Wu spoke on a local podcast this week to address comments from the Trump administration, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

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

She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and submit or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She also remarked, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging Boston's values." She finished by emphasizing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for Boston."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen with Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the Oval Office and presented World Cup and club championship awards to the president as gifts.

On Tuesday, President Trump was asked about recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being burned. He responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's phenomenal."

He continued, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and Upcoming Tournament Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would have the same conversation with the FIFA president about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across the continent.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is planned to be played from June 11 to July 19 next summer.