Trump threatens to pull out of Boston World Cup matches if “there are unsafe conditions”
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President Donald Trump suggested he will work to have the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches moved out of Boston if the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu, does not curb crime that recently included a violent street takeover targeting police.
Trump made the suggestion while fielding media questions during Tuesday’s meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House, threatening to call FIFA President Gianni Infantino to move the games to cooperating cities, citing security concerns.
“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is no good. There are worse than her. At least she’s smart. You know, some of them have extremely low IQs. Those bother me the most. She’s smart, but she’s radical left,” Trump said.
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“The answer is yes, if someone is doing a bad job and I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the director of FIFA, who is phenomenal, and say, ‘Let’s move him to another location,’ and he would do it. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he would do it, he would very easily do it. And this is the right time to do it.”
Trump’s comments come after a group of people took control of one of the city’s streets in a violent incident this week. The president of a union that represents Boston Police officers said people who participated in a recent street takeover in the city were “hell-bent” on attacking law enforcement officers.
According to the Boston Police Department, more than 100 people were involved in the takeover that involved street racing shortly after 2 a.m. on October 5. Officers found people trying to attack police cruisers with fireworks, cones, poles and other items.
A police cruiser was destroyed by the flames and had to be towed from the area, authorities said.
Boston will currently host seven matches when the World Cup comes to North America next summer. The schedule includes five group stage matches, a round of 32 match and the first quarter-final on July 9.
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Mayor Michelle Wu speaks during a press conference in Boston. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Wu’s office responded to Trump’s threats in a statement to News Digital.
“Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the birthplace of freedom and the city of champions,” the statement read.
Trump added that he would also consider pulling the 2028 Summer Olympics from Los Angeles for similar reasons.
“I could say the same thing about the Olympics,” he said. “If I thought Los Angeles wasn’t going to be adequately prepared, I would move it to another location.”
Wu has accused the Trump administration of being a party that “does not follow the law.”
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President Donald Trump holds the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office; Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. (Getty Images)
“At a time when this federal administration is already causing so much fear and harm in our communities, these threats are serious and consequential,” Wu said in August.
The comments came after the Trump administration warned it could sue or cut federal funding if cities refused to cooperate in immigration enforcement.
Adam Oyes of News Digital and Edward Lawrence of News Business Network contributed to this report.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures such as Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.