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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a dispute with President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located approximately 35 kilometers southwest of the city.

Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to answer comments from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would call the head of FIFA if Boston did not "address its issues."

Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

Wu added, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and submit or be obedient to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting what Boston stands for." She concluded by emphasizing her support for the Boston, saying, "Fully committed for our city."

The President's Comments and FIFA Involvement

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen alongside Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also visited the White House and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup awards to the president as presents.

Earlier, President Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that included a police vehicle being set on fire. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

He continued, "I'd tell him: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Wu, stating, "Their mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with Infantino about moving games from other host cities, which are part of the 16 locations across North America.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be played from 11 June to July 19 next summer.