President Trump on Tuesday threatened to relocate World Cup games scheduled to be played in Boston next year if the city does not address safety concerns.

“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is not good,” Trump said.

“She’s intelligent, but she’s radical left. And they’re taking over parts of Boston,” Trump continued.

“We could get them back in about two seconds. All she has to do is call us,” he added.

Trump went on to say that if he felt there were “unsafe conditions,” then he would call the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and say to move the games to another location.

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“He wouldn’t love to do it, but he would do it very easily,” Trump said.

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Wu’s office issued a statement that read: “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.”

Trump’s comments came during his meeting with Argentina’s president, and it wasn’t immediately clear what he was referring to. Earlier this month, there were multiple arrests in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest that turned violent on the Boston Common in which four police officers were injured.

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 NFL stadiums near New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

World Cup host sites aren’t up to Trump. The 11 U.S. cities — plus three in Mexico and two in Canada — are contracted with FIFA, which would face significant logistical and legal issues to make changes in the eight months before the June 11 kickoff.

“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction; FIFA makes those decisions,” Victor Montagliani, the soccer body’s vice president, previously said.

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The comments mark the second time in recent weeks Trump has suggested he would use international sporting events, including both the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, to pressure Democratic-run cities to crack down on crime and lawlessness.

Lisa Gillmor, the mayor of Santa Clara, California, said the Bay Area has a “history of hosting major global events, like Super Bowl 50 and other International Soccer matches, with professionalism and success.”

“Any suggestion that Santa Clara is unsafe is simply not based in fact. We have been preparing for these games for nearly 3 years, and we will be proud to welcome the world to Santa Clara for the World Cup next year,” Gillmor said.

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One host city official, granted anonymity to discuss the matter candidly, said that while they appreciate Trump’s attention to safety and security, there are “no concerns about this being actionable from the federal government.”

“Our agreements are between FIFA and the host cities,” the official said. “These are agreements that have been entered into back in 2017 and 2018. The bid itself was endorsed by the first Trump administration.”

 

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