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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the municipality was prepared for a face-off with US President Donald Trump regarding his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles south-west of Boston.

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

A great deal of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can reverse it.

She added, "We live in a time where for drama, for power, to test limits ... ongoing threats ... are directed at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and submit or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She also remarked, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." She concluded by stressing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Comments and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen alongside Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup trophies to Trump as presents.

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

He added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past 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 matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be held from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.