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Boston's mayor, Mayor Wu, indicated that the municipality was ready for a confrontation with US President Donald Trump over his claim that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup games from the stadium in Foxborough, situated approximately 35 kilometers south-west of Boston.

Wu spoke on a local podcast this week to respond to criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "far-left." President Trump had warned that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "clean up its act."

A great deal of it is locked down by agreement so that no single person, even the president, can change it.

Wu added, "We live in a time where for attention, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who stand their ground and submit or follow along to a divisive plan."

She further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is targeting Boston's values." Wu concluded by stressing her commitment for the Boston, saying, "Ten toes down for Boston."

The President's Statements and FIFA's Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen alongside Trump at the international summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. The FIFA president has also been to the Oval Office and presented World Cup tournament and club championship awards to Trump as gifts.

On Tuesday, President Trump was questioned on unrest in South Boston that included a police vehicle being burned. Trump responded, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's great."

He added, "I would say: 'We should relocate the games' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, stating, "Their mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a strong claim, right?"

Previous Warnings and Upcoming Tournament Information

President Trump has made previous comments that he would have the similar discussion with the FIFA president about moving games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are part of the 16 locations across the continent.

The United States is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with neighboring countries. The expanded tournament is scheduled to be held from 11 June to 19 July next summer.