FIFA defers to US government on 2026 World Cup host city safety amid Trump's Boston warning
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s threat to pull 2026 FIFA World Cup matches from Boston took on new significance after FIFA confirmed that the governments ultimately determine “what is in the best interest for public safety.”
A FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that "Safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide."
"We hope every one of our 16 host cities will be ready to successfully host and fulfill all necessary requirements," they added.
Trump criticizes Boston mayor and hints at relocation
FIFA’s clarification follows Trump’s remarks on Tuesday, October 14, when he suggested that the World Cup matches could be moved from Boston.
The president’s comments raised questions about whether the White House could influence the allocation of matches in the tournament, which is set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada next year.
Referring to the World Cup games set to be held in Boston, Trump said, “We can take them away. I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is not good."
Reporter: Are you going to try to work with the mayor of Boston? They have several world cup games.
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 14, 2025
President Trump: We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is not good pic.twitter.com/a4xSLcabRR
He added, "There are worse than her," referring to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. "At least she is intelligent... but she is radical left," the president further said.
The president added that he could personally appeal to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to relocate the games if he deemed the city unsafe.
"If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal, and I would say, 'Let's move it to another location,'" he said.
Trump: "Somebody said, 'would we think about taking the World Cup away from Boston if they don't straighten it out?' The answer is yes. We have the right to do that with FIFA. So if we think that LA is gonna be bad, or that applies a little bit to the Olympics too." pic.twitter.com/Ikmkz4N6Ml
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2025
Trump doubled down on his threat on Wednesday again, saying, “We have the right to do that with FIFA" if the city doesn’t "straighten it out."
Boston, one of the 16 US host cities, is currently slated to stage seven matches, including five group-stage games, one Round of 32 fixture, and a quarterfinal on July 9, 2026.
Michelle Wu reaffirms commitment to hosting World Cup
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu responded to the president’s remarks on the podcast 'Java with Jimmy,' on Wednesday, and said, “Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it.”
“We’re in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries … ongoing threats are issued to individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda," she added.
"We are going to continue to be who we are and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation in a way that is targeting Boston’s values,” Wu concluded.
