Why Donald Trump’s warning to pull 2026 FIFA World Cup games from Boston has sparked major controversy

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned he might take away the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches planned near Boston. He said parts of the city had been “taken over” and blamed Boston’s Democratic mayor, Michelle Wu, for being “radical left.

” The games are scheduled for Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, about 30 miles from Boston. The U.S. will host the World Cup along with Mexico and Canada next year.

Donald Trump calls Boston mayor Michelle Wu “radical left” over World Cup plans

Speaking during a meeting with Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Trump praised Michelle Wu as “intelligent” but said she was doing a “bad job” managing the city. He added, “We could take them away… we could get them back in about two seconds.” He claimed that parts of Boston were being “taken over” but didn’t explain what he meant.

Wu’s office has not commented yet. Her administration has been preparing for the World Cup, where Foxborough is expected to host up to seven matches starting June 11, 2026. Earlier this month, a pro-Palestinian protest in Boston Common turned violent, leaving four police officers injured and leading to several arrests. Trump said he could ask FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a close ally, to move the games to another city if he felt Boston was unsafe. “If somebody is doing a bad job,” Trump said, “I would call Gianni — the head of FIFA who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location,’ and they would do that.”

FIFA’s Victor Montagliani says Trump has no control over host cities

FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani quickly dismissed Trump’s claim. He said that FIFA alone decides where the games will take place. The 2026 World Cup host cities, 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico, and two in Canada, were confirmed in 2022. Changing them now would be nearly impossible because of contracts and logistics.Also Read: Danica Patrick Stirs Controversy Praising Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal And Mocking The Left“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” Montagliani said at a recent sports business event in London. Despite Trump’s remarks, FIFA has made no indication that it plans to change any of the host cities. For now, Boston and Foxborough remain part of the official list, though Donald Trump’s comments have added new political heat to the world’s biggest soccer event.