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Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, implied that the city was ready for a face-off with President Donald Trump over his claim that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup matches from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles south-west of Boston.

Wu appeared on a Boston-based podcast recently to answer comments from the White House, which had described her as "far-left." Trump had threatened that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

A great deal of it is secured by contract so that no single person, even the president, can reverse it.

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

She further stated, "We will keep being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting Boston's values." She concluded by emphasizing her commitment for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."

The President's Comments and FIFA's Involvement

Earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was seen alongside President Trump at the Gaza summit in Egypt. Infantino has also visited the Oval Office and given World Cup and club championship trophies to the president as gifts.

On Tuesday, President Trump was questioned on unrest in a Boston neighborhood that included a police vehicle being set on fire. Trump replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's phenomenal."

Trump continued, "I'd tell him: 'Let's move into another location' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also directly criticized Wu, saying, "Their mayor is ineffective ... she's far-left, and they're taking over parts of Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with Infantino about moving matches from other host cities, which are among the 16 host cities across the continent.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The 48-team event is planned to be held from June 11 to 19 July next summer.