US President Donald Trump has publicly threatened to relocate FIFA World Cup 2026 matches scheduled to be played next year in the suburban Boston area. The President suggested that parts of the city had been “taken over” by unrest, making it potentially unsafe for the major international tournament.
The matches are set to be staged in Foxborough, Massachusetts, approximately 30 miles from Boston and home to the NFL’s New England Patriots. The United States is co-hosting the 104-game tournament with Mexico and Canada.
Trump’s Threat and Justification
President Trump first made the threat after being asked about Boston’s Democratic mayor, Michelle Wu, whom he called “intelligent” but “radical left.”
“We could 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.
He repeated these threats last week, suggesting he could declare cities “not safe” for the tournament, thereby altering the detailed hosting plan confirmed by FIFA in 2022, which includes games at NFL stadiums near major hubs like New York and Los Angeles. Trump claimed he has the necessary leverage, stating:
“If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni – the head of FIFA who’s phenomenal — and I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location’ and they would do that.”
Trump was referencing FIFA head Gianni Infantino, whom he described as a “close ally,” adding that Infantino “wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.”
Do Trump and the US Government Have the Authority to Move Matches?
Despite the President’s threats, officials from both the city of Boston and the international football body maintain that the authority to make such a change rests solely with FIFA.
FIFA’s Position: The World Cup host sites are not determined by the US government. The 11 cities in the United States (along with three in Mexico and two in Canada) are under contract directly with FIFA.
Victor Montagliani, FIFA’s vice president, addressed the issue earlier this month at a sports business conference in London: “It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions.” He also noted the major logistical and legal issues involved in attempting to make changes just eight months before the tournament’s kickoff on June 11, 2026.
Mayor Wu’s Position: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu publicly questioned the President’s capability to alter the schedule with less than a year remaining, stating that almost everything is already “locked down by contract.”
“There’s no ability to take away the World Cup games. There’s no real threat when it comes to saying cities are so unsafe that they can’t host the games,” Wu said in a local podcast appearance.
Seven matches are scheduled to be played at Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburb of Foxborough, including five group stage matches, one match in the Round of 32, and a Quarterfinal match on July 9 next year.