President Trump threatened Tuesday to pressure soccer's governing body to yank Boston's 2026 World Cup hosting rights, the Guardian reports. "We could take them away," Trump said during a White House press conference with Argentinian president Javier Milei, referencing the games scheduled for Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, about 22 miles from Boston. "Their mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?" Trump's comments came in response to a question about a recent "street takeover" incident in Boston that involved violence against police. Trump said that if he felt conditions were unsafe, he would call FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whom he described as a close ally, to request the games be moved.
Trump also said he might seek to have the 2028 Olympics stripped from Los Angeles if he felt the city was unsafe. As the Guardian notes, Trump has no legal authority to take these actions, but he can apply pressure on FIFA or the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if he chooses. Indeed, he floated the idea of leveraging his influence over the IOC regarding LA's Olympic hosting, saying if Gov. Gavin Newsom "doesn't play ball, we're gonna have to be very tough. ... On that one I'd probably have to get a different kind of a permission, but we would do that." Trump has yet to meet with the new IOC president, who was elected in March.
But Trump's public alliance with Infantino has been well documented, with the FIFA president making frequent appearances at Trump events and even giving Trump World Cup trophies for display in the Oval Office. He even showed up at the Gaza summit, prompting many to wonder what he was doing there, the New York Times reports. Trump has previously threatened Seattle and San Francisco's World Cup hosting status, criticizing both cities' leadership and public safety. FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani pushed back on those threats, stating, "It's FIFA's tournament, FIFA's jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions. ... Football is bigger than them and football will survive their regime and their government and their slogans. That's the beauty of our game, that it is bigger than any individual and bigger than any country."
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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also responded, telling Fox News in a statement, "Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions."
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