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Former President Trump has repeatedly stated he would influence FIFA to pull 2026 World Cup games from a designated city based on that city's governance, with Massachusetts emerging as the latest urban area to encounter such threats from the US president. Moreover, Trump indicated he would evaluate similar action against Southern California for the 2028 Summer Games due to perceived security concerns.

Jurisdictional Limits and Potential Influence

While Trump lacks official jurisdiction to directly relocate either tournament, he can apply pressure the organizing committees overseeing each event to change locations.

Setting for Statements

His remarks were made during a media briefing with Argentinian president Milei, who was at the executive mansion following the disclosure of a $20 billion rescue package for the Latin American country. At the conclusion of the gathering, a reporter questioned Trump about a current “street takeover” in the city where law enforcement were assaulted and a cruiser was burned. The reporter also wondered if these incidents could lead to the revocation of hosting duties for the 48-team football competition.

“It's possible to take them away,” the former president said regarding the soccer matches, scheduled to be staged at the Foxborough venue. “The city's leader is poor … she is extremist, and they’re occupying areas of Boston. That’s a major assertion, isn't it?”

Street Takeovers and Political Context

Public disruptions, a social media-driven trend where groups of people congregate on public avenues during nighttime to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have been a ongoing issue in US urban areas since the lockdown shutdowns. Latest such gatherings have escalated into violence in the region, including the city. However, these occurrences are generally not regarded as associated with any specific partisan agenda.

“In cases where a mayor is performing poorly, and I feel there are security risks, I will call the organization's president, who is phenomenal, and tell him we should relocate it to another location,” the former president stated during the event. “And he would do that. He might not prefer to do it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he'd comply.”

Political Connections

Gianni Infantino has made no secret his attempts to be visibly associated with the former president before the 2026 event, planned to be hosted in numerous American venues across the America along with a couple in the northern neighbor and multiple in the southern neighbor. The organization's leader has been present at several White House functions, arranged for Trump hand over the Club World Cup trophy after the championship match, and has even postponed his the group's assembly to accompany Trump on a trip to the Arab region this year.

Past Statements

Despite this, Trump from suggesting the relocation of soccer games from different locations. On September 25, Seattle and San Francisco came under comparable criticism, with Trump stating both locations were “governed by far-left extremists who don’t know what they are doing,” while criticizing the security conditions of both cities and claiming that matches could be removed.

Organizational Statement

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rejected Trump’s statements when he reacted afterward at a event in the UK capital.

“This is the organization's event, FIFA’s jurisdiction, we decide those decisions,” the vice-president declared. “Politely to current world leaders, the sport is bigger than any individual and football will survive their administration and their policies. That is the strength of football, that it is more significant than one leader and more important than a nation.”

2028 Comments

During the event, Trump’s answer to a query about Boston veered into a parallel statement regarding the upcoming Summer Games.

“If I perceived Los Angeles was failing to be prepared properly, I will shift it to a different city as needed,” Trump stated. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to get a varying approval, but we will do that.”

The permission Trump refers to would have to come through the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their president, Kirsty Coventry, was selected to her role in March and has not yet meet publicly with him, but she stated that she desires a sit-down with him at eventually.

Further Comments

He also condemned the state's leader Newsom’s handling of the LA wildfires, saying that a similar situation could lead to the relocation of the Olympics.

“In case the governor is uncooperative, we are going to have to be firm,” Trump stated.

His statement was similarly unambiguous for Boston.

“Boston should address these issues,” he remarked. “It's I will say.”