Trump Threatens To Pull World Cup Matches From Liberal City Over Safety Concerns

President Donald Trump threatened to strip Boston of its status as host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following an eruption of public unrest.

“If somebody is doing a bad job, and I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, who’s head of FIFA,” Trump said Wednesday. “I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location,’ and he would do that.”

Last week, over 100 people took over a Boston street, setting off fireworks and illegally racing. According to prosecutors, the event appeared to be mass-coordinated, where “drivers perform burnouts, donuts, and illegal street races, often live-streaming the activities.” The event ended with a police cruiser erupting in flames.

Trump added that he would take the same action in California if he felt Los Angeles wasn’t prepared to host the 2028 Olympics.

To prepare for 2026, President Trump assembled the FIFA World Cup Task Force through executive order. He instructed the task force to coordinate with executive agencies and assist with the planning, organization, and execution of events surrounding the World Cup. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino expects the tournament to generate $40 billion in economic activity and create 200,000 jobs.

When announcing the task force, Trump and Infantino emphasized safety and hospitality. “It’s important that everyone coming to America feels safe and welcome,” Infantino said.

In an effort to prepare Boston to become a host city, President Trump offered to send the National Guard to Boston, but claimed Mayor Michelle Wu would not accept “because she thinks it’s bad politically.”

“Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu told The Daily Wire. “We look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions.”

Senator Elizabeth Warren weighed in on the dispute in an interview with Bloomberg, saying, “Michelle Wu is doing a terrific job.”

“Donald Trump doesn’t like anyone who doesn’t bend the knee, so frankly I’m not surprised that he’s trying to pick some sort of fight with Michelle Wu, but I don’t think it’s going to work,” Warren said.

Including Boston, the 2026 FIFA World Cup secured 16 host cities: 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. To finalize host status, each city signed a legally binding contract with FIFA, outlining the rights, responsibilities, and obligations.

In 2023, the Seattle City Council released its Host City Agreement, which contains a clause titled “Revocation of Host City Selection.” The clause states that FIFA’s host city selection assumes the city will meet “all requirements and act in full compliance with its obligations resulting from, or in connection with, this Host City Agreement.”

If the city fails to meet its obligations, FIFA reserves the right to revoke host status.

Meaning, if Trump requests FIFA intervene, President Infantino could potentially invoke this clause and argue that Boston no longer meets its contractual requirements. The City of Boston could then contest the decision in court.

FIFA did not offer any comments on President Trump’s remarks.