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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, suggested that the city was ready for a dispute with President Donald Trump concerning his claim that he could order FIFA to relocate World Cup games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of the city.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast recently to address criticism from the Trump administration, which had described her as "radical left." Trump had warned that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "improve its situation."

Much of it is secured by contract so that no one, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

She continued, "We live in a time where for attention, for control, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are issued at people and cities who refuse to back down and submit or follow along to a hateful agenda."

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

Trump's Comments and FIFA Involvement

Recently, Infantino was photographed with President Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. The FIFA president has also been to the White House and presented World Cup tournament and club championship trophies to the president as presents.

On Tuesday, President Trump was asked about unrest in South Boston that involved a police car being burned. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Gianni – the president of the organization, who's great."

Trump added, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also specifically targeted Mayor Wu, stating, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Details

Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with Infantino about relocating matches from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across North America.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be played from June 11 to 19 July next summer.