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

Mayor Wu spoke on a local podcast recently to address comments from the Trump administration, which had labeled her as "far-left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is secured by contract so that no single person, even the president, can change it.

She continued, "We live in a time where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a divisive plan."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting what Boston stands for." She finished by emphasizing her support for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for our city."

The President's Comments and FIFA's Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed with Trump at the international summit in Egypt. Infantino has also been to the Oval Office and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup awards to the president as gifts.

On Tuesday, Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that included a police vehicle being burned. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the head of the organization, who's phenomenal."

He added, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." Trump also directly criticized Mayor Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would take the similar discussion with Infantino about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, 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 scheduled to be played from June 11 to July 19 in the coming year.