Trump says he may pull World Cup matches in Boston, even though FIFA chooses locations

US President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to change the location of the World Cup matches scheduled to be held next year in the Boston suburbs, after he indicated that unrest had “taken over” parts of the city.

Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, about 48 kilometers from Boston, is scheduled to host games while the United States hosts the 2026 World Cup along with Mexico and Canada. Trump was asked about Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, a Democrat he described as “smart” but “far-left.”

“We can take them far,” Trump said of the World Cup matches. “I love Bostonians and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is no good.”

He noted, “They control parts of Boston,” without providing details, but added, “We can get them back in about two seconds.”

The Trump administration has already deployed National Guard troops to Washington and Memphis, and efforts to do so in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have sparked legal battles.

Wu’s office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Watch | Vancouver gets a glimpse of the World Cup:

Vancouver soccer fans get a glimpse of the FIFA World Cup

Excitement is building for the 2026 FIFA World Cup just 10 months before the major football event. Earlier today, fans got the chance to see the FIFA World Cup Trophy in person in Vancouver, while it was on display at Jack Paul Plaza. CBC News stopped by to chat with fans who were lined up to see the trophy.

Trump’s statements came during his meeting with Argentine President Javier Miley, and it was not immediately clear what he was referring to by the parts of Boston that were seized. However, earlier this month, multiple arrests were made in connection with a pro-Palestinian demonstration that turned violent on Boston Common. Four police officers were injured.

Trump had previously suggested he could declare cities “unsafe” for the 104-match soccer tournament and change the detailed hosting plan confirmed by FIFA in 2022. The plan includes holding matches in NFL stadiums near New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

World Cup host sites not up to Trump’s standards. Eleven American cities, in addition to three cities in Mexico and two in Canada, are contracting with FIFA, which will face major logistical and legal problems to make changes in the eight months before the match kicks off on June 11.

“It is the FIFA tournament, it is the prerogative of FIFA, it is FIFA that makes those decisions,” FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said earlier this month at a sports business conference in London.

However, Trump said: “If someone is doing a bad job, if I feel there are unsafe conditions, I will call Gianni, the extraordinary president of FIFA, and say, ‘Let’s move to another site,’ and they will do it.”

The president was referring to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a close ally. Trump said Infantino “doesn’t like to do it, but he would do it very easily.”