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Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, suggested that the municipality was ready for a dispute with US President Donald Trump over his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament games from the stadium in Foxborough, located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of Boston.

Mayor Wu spoke on a Boston-based podcast this week to answer comments from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "far-left." Trump had warned that he would call the head of FIFA if Boston did not "address its issues."

Much of it is secured by agreement so that no one, even the president, can change it.

Wu continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." She concluded by stressing her commitment for the Boston, declaring, "Fully committed for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed with Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the Oval Office and given World Cup and Club World Cup awards to Trump as presents.

Earlier, Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being burned. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, who's phenomenal."

He added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also specifically targeted Wu, stating, "Their mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and Upcoming Tournament Information

Trump has previously suggested that he would have the same conversation with Infantino about moving matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 locations across North America.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July next summer.