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The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a face-off with President Donald Trump regarding his claim that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament matches from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles south-west of Boston.

Wu spoke on a local podcast recently to respond to comments from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had threatened that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is secured by agreement so that no single person, even the president, can reverse 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 refuse to back down and submit or be obedient to a divisive plan."

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 finished by stressing her commitment for the Boston, declaring, "Fully committed for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed with Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and presented World Cup and club championship awards to the president as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was questioned on unrest in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being burned. He replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, who's great."

Trump continued, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with Infantino about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among 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 held from 11 June to 19 July next summer.