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Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, indicated that the municipality was prepared for a dispute with President Donald Trump regarding his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of the city.

Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to respond to comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "far-left." President Trump had warned 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 one, even the president, can change it.

Wu added, "We live in a time where for attention, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a divisive plan."

She also remarked, "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 finished by emphasizing her support for the Boston, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Comments and FIFA's Involvement

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

Earlier, Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being set on fire. He responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the head of the organization, who's great."

Trump continued, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Threats and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has previously suggested that he would have the similar discussion with Infantino about relocating matches from other host cities, which are among the 16 locations across North America.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is planned to be played from 11 June to July 19 in the coming year.