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

Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to answer comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "address its issues."

A great deal of it is secured by contract so that no single person, even the president, can undo it.

She added, "We're in a world where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a divisive plan."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu concluded by emphasizing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Comments and FIFA's Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was photographed with Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup tournament and Club World Cup awards to the president as presents.

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

Trump continued, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' 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, stating, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would take the similar discussion with Infantino about moving matches from other host cities, which are part of the 16 locations across North America.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be held from June 11 to July 19 next summer.