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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the city was ready for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump concerning his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup matches from the stadium in Foxborough, situated 22 miles south-west of Boston.

Wu spoke on a local podcast recently to respond to criticism from the White House, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had threatened that he would call the head of FIFA if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is locked down by contract so that no one, even the president, can change it.

Wu continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu finished by emphasizing her commitment for the city, declaring, "Fully committed for Boston."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Involvement

Recently, Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and given World Cup and club championship awards to Trump as gifts.

Earlier, President Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that involved a police car being burned. Trump responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

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." Trump also directly criticized Mayor Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Previous Threats and Upcoming Tournament Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would take the same conversation with Infantino about moving matches from other host cities, which are part of the 16 locations across North America.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is planned to be played from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.