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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, indicated that the city was prepared for a dispute with President Donald Trump over his claim that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament matches from the stadium in Foxborough, located 22 miles south-west of Boston.

Wu appeared on a local podcast this week to respond to comments from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even the president, can undo it.

Wu continued, "We live in a time where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at individuals and communities who stand their ground and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."

She also remarked, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is challenging Boston's values." She concluded by stressing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Fully committed for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Role

Recently, Infantino was seen with Trump at the international summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also visited the White House and presented World Cup and Club World Cup awards to the president as presents.

On Tuesday, President Trump was questioned on unrest in South Boston that involved a police car being burned. He replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

He continued, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also specifically targeted Wu, saying, "Their mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

President Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with the FIFA president about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 locations across the continent.

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