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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, indicated that the municipality was ready for a dispute with US President Donald Trump concerning his claim that he could order FIFA to remove World Cup tournament games from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles south-west of Boston.

Mayor Wu spoke on a local podcast recently to respond to comments from the White House, which had labeled her as "far-left." Trump had threatened that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

A great deal of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

She continued, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu also remarked, "We are going to continue being who we are, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting what Boston stands for." Wu finished by emphasizing her commitment for the city, saying, "Ten toes down for Boston."

Trump's Comments and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and given World Cup and Club World Cup trophies to Trump as presents.

Earlier, Trump was questioned on unrest in South Boston that included a police vehicle being burned. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA, who's great."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, stating, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Threats and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has previously suggested that he would have the similar discussion with Infantino about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 host cities across North America.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is planned to be played from 11 June to 19 July in the coming year.