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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, suggested that the city was ready for a confrontation with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, located approximately 35 kilometers south-west of the city.

Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to address criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "far-left." Trump had warned that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can reverse it.

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

Mayor Wu also remarked, "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 Boston's values." She concluded by stressing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Statements and FIFA Involvement

Earlier this week, Infantino was photographed with President Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the Oval Office and presented World Cup and club championship awards to the president as gifts.

Earlier, Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that involved a police vehicle being set on fire. He responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the head of the organization, who's phenomenal."

Trump added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also specifically targeted Wu, stating, "Boston's 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 Information

Trump has previously suggested that he would have the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating games from other host cities, which are part of the 16 host cities across the continent.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.