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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, indicated that the municipality was prepared for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump concerning his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup tournament matches from Gillette Stadium, located 22 miles south-west of the city.

Mayor Wu spoke on a local podcast this week to address criticism from the Trump administration, which had described her as "far-left." Trump had threatened that he would contact the head of FIFA if Boston did not "address its issues."

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

She added, "We live in a time where for attention, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... ongoing threats ... are issued at individuals and communities who refuse to back down and comply or follow along to a divisive plan."

Mayor Wu also remarked, "We will keep being who we are, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." Wu concluded by emphasizing her commitment for the city, declaring, "Fully committed for our city."

The President's Comments and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was photographed alongside President Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and presented World Cup tournament and club championship awards to the president as gifts.

Earlier, President Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in South Boston that included a police vehicle being burned. He responded, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the president of the organization, who's phenomenal."

He continued, "I'd tell him: 'We should relocate the games' and they would do that. He might not prefer it. But he would do it very easily." The president also directly criticized Wu, stating, "Their mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're dominating parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Details

Trump has previously suggested that he would take the same conversation with the FIFA president about relocating matches from other host cities, which are among the 16 locations across North America.

The United States is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July next summer.