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The mayor of Boston, Mayor Wu, suggested that the municipality was ready for a dispute with President Donald Trump concerning 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.

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

A great deal of it is locked down by contract so that no one, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

Wu continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for power, to test limits ... repeated warnings ... are issued at people and cities who stand their ground and submit or be obedient to a divisive plan."

Mayor Wu also remarked, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging Boston's values." Wu concluded by stressing her support for the Boston, saying, "Fully committed for Boston."

Trump's Comments and FIFA's Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and presented World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to the president as gifts.

On Tuesday, President Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police vehicle being burned. Trump responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA, who's great."

Trump added, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

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

The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be played from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.