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President Donald Trump addressed the topic of moving FIFA World Cup soccer games out of Boston for a second consecutive day on Wednesday, after Mayor Michelle Wu made a statement expressing confidence in the current schedule.
Boston and its surrounding communities are currently set to host seven matches when the World Cup comes to North America next summer. The slate includes five group-stage games, one Round of 32 fixture and the first quarterfinal on July 9.
During an Oval Office news conference touting his administration’s crackdown on crime nationwide, Trump was asked again about Boston and crime.
“Somebody said, ‘Would we think about taking the World Cup away from Boston if they don’t straighten it out?’ The answer is yes. We have the right to do that with FIFA,” Trump said.
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Trump said the same thinking applies to the 2028 Summer Olympics, which are currently set for Los Angeles.
“So if we think that LA is gonna be bad, that applies a little bit to the Olympics, too, but we’ll talk about FIFA first. You know, FIFA is very hot,” he said. “If we think there’s any reason that, whether it’s Boston or anywhere else, that they’re not doing their job, we’re going to take those World Cup games and move them someplace else.”
On Tuesday, Trump initially said he would consider calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to urge having the games moved away from the Boston area over safety concerns, after a violent incident in the city last week saw over 100 people take over a street, resulting in the fiery destruction of a police car.
Wu responded to Trump’s threat in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday evening.
“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 cradle of liberty and city of champions,” she said.
Wu made the statement after Trump called her “radical left,” but also “intelligent” while making the initial threats.
“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is not good. There are worse than her. At least she’s intelligent. You know, some are extremely low IQ. Those bother me more. She’s intelligent, but she’s radical left,” Trump said.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, hands the FIFA World Cup Winners Trophy to President Donald Trump during an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House, Aug. 22, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“The answer is yes, if somebody’s doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location,’ and he would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it, very easily he’d do it. And this is the right time to do it.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Wu’s office for further comment.
Trump has previously suggested he could declare cities “not safe” for the 104-game soccer tournament and alter a detailed hosting plan that FIFA confirmed in 2022. It includes games at NFL stadiums near New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani said earlier this month at a sports business conference in London that it’s the organization’s decision where games are played.
“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” Montagliani said.
Among the seven matches that will be played at Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburb of Foxborough, there will be five group stage matches, one match in the round of 32 and a quarterfinal match on July 9. The news of so many big games was a surprise to local organizers.
“The later in the tournament, the more eyeballs,” said Mike Loynd, head of Boston’s World Cup organizing committee, when the schedule was announced last year. “For us, it’s just a matter of excitement … For us, it’s a perfect schedule. I don’t think FIFA could have done a better job.”
President Donald Trump speaks as FBI Director Kash Patel looks on during a news conference discussing the administration’s crime crackdown in the Oval Office at the White House, Wednesday. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
The tournament is expected to bring $1.1 billion in local economic impact, create over 5,000 jobs, and generate more than $60 million of tax revenue throughout the region, according to organizers. They also expect that more than two million visitors will come to New England throughout the tournament’s 39-day span.
Meanwhile, Wu has previously accused the Trump administration of being a party that “doesn’t follow the law.”
“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.
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The remarks came after the Trump administration warned it could sue or cut federal funds if cities refused to cooperate on immigration enforcement.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes and FOX Business Network’s Edward Lawrence contributed to this report.
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