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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, suggested that the city was prepared for a face-off with US President Donald Trump regarding his claim that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup games from the stadium in Foxborough, situated approximately 35 kilometers south-west of Boston.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast this week to answer criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no one, even if they live in the White House, can reverse it.

She added, "We live in a time where for attention, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We will keep being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, 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, "Fully committed for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, Infantino was photographed alongside Trump at the international summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also been to the Oval Office and presented World Cup and Club World Cup awards to Trump as presents.

Earlier, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that included a police car being set on fire. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

Trump continued, "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 Wu, stating, "Their mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

Trump has made previous comments that he would have the same conversation with Infantino about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 locations across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be played from June 11 to July 19 next summer.