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Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, indicated that the municipality was prepared for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump regarding his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup games from the stadium in Foxborough, located 22 miles southwest of Boston.

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

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

She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who stand their ground and comply or follow along to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." She finished by emphasizing her support for the city, saying, "Ten toes down for our city."

The President's Statements and FIFA's Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni 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 tournament and club championship awards to the president as presents.

On Tuesday, Trump was asked about unrest in a Boston neighborhood that included a police vehicle being set on fire. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's great."

Trump added, "I'd tell him: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

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

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be played from 11 June to July 19 in the coming year.