US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to move next year’s World Cup matches to suburban Boston, after suggesting parts of the city had been “taken over” by unrest.
Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots and about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Boston, is expected to host games as the United States co-hosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Trump was asked about Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat who he called “smart” but “radical left.”
“We could take them out,” Trump said of the World Cup matches. “I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is no good.”
He suggested “they take over parts of Boston” without giving details, but added “we could get them back in about two seconds.”
The Trump administration has already deployed National Guard troops to Washington and Memphis, and efforts to do so in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have sparked legal battles.
Wu’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Excitement for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is intensifying with just 10 months to go until the big football event. Earlier today, fans had the chance to see the FIFA World Cup trophy in person in Vancouver, as it was on display at Jack Poole Plaza. CBC News stopped to chat with fans waiting in line to see the trophy.
Trump’s comments came during his meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei and it was not immediately clear what he was referring to by seizing parts of Boston. However, earlier this month, numerous arrests were made in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest that turned violent on Boston Common. Four police officers were injured.
Trump has previously suggested he could declare cities “unsafe” for the 104-game soccer tournament and change a detailed hosting plan confirmed by FIFA in 2022. It includes games at NFL stadiums near New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
World Cup host venues don’t depend on Trump. All 11 U.S. cities, plus three in Mexico and two in Canada, are under contract with FIFA, which would face significant logistical and legal problems in making changes in the eight months before the June 11 kickoff.
“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s competence, FIFA makes these decisions,” the football body’s vice-president, Victor Montagliani, said earlier this month at a sports and business conference in London.
Trump nevertheless said: “If someone is doing a bad job and I feel like the conditions aren’t safe, I would call Gianni, the director of FIFA who is phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s go to another place,’ and they would do it.”
The president was talking about FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a close ally. Trump said Infantino “wouldn’t like to do it, but he would do it very easily.”
