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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, suggested that the city was prepared for a face-off with US President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of Boston.

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

A great deal of it is secured by contract so that no single person, even the president, can reverse it.

Wu continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and submit or follow along to a hateful agenda."

She further stated, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting Boston's values." She concluded by stressing her support for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the international summit in Egypt. Infantino has also been to the White House and given World Cup and club championship awards to Trump as presents.

On Tuesday, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that included a police vehicle being set on fire. Trump replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the head of the organization, who's great."

Trump added, "I'd tell him: '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 Mayor Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Threats and 2026 World Cup Information

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

The US is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be held from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.