Trump Suggests Boston Could Lose World Cup Matches Amidst Unrest Concerns
WASHINGTON - Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday indicated that World Cup matches scheduled for Boston could be relocated due to recent unrest in the city. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, approximately 30 miles from Boston and home to the New England Patriots, is slated to host seven matches during the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
trump criticized Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, calling her “intelligent” but characterizing her as “radical left.” He stated, “We could take them away,” referring to the games, while acknowledging their sold-out status and expressing affection for the people of Boston. “But your mayor is not good.”
The former president alluded to “parts of Boston” being “taken over,” without providing specific details. He asserted the ability to rectify the situation “in about two seconds.” Mayor Wu’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Trump’s remarks occurred during a meeting with the President of Argentina. the comments follow earlier this month’s pro-Palestinian protest on Boston Common,which resulted in multiple arrests and injuries to four police officers.
Trump has previously proposed the possibility of declaring cities ”not safe” for the 104-game tournament and altering the existing hosting plan, finalized by FIFA in 2022, which includes NFL stadiums near New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
However, FIFA officials maintain that host city selections are beyond the purview of any single national leader. FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani recently affirmed, “It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction; FIFA makes those decisions.”
Despite this, Trump stated he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino – whom he described as “phenomenal” and a close ally – to request a venue change if he perceived unsafe conditions. He believes Infantino “wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.” The existing contracts with the 11 U.S.host cities,along with the three in Mexico and two in canada,present notable logistical and legal hurdles to any changes with the tournament kickoff scheduled for June 11th.
