FIFA has backed away from a potential conflict with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could move some of next summer’s World Cup matches out of U.S. cities he deemed unsafe.
In suggesting earlier this week that parts of Boston had been ‘taken over’ by recent unrest, Trump said FIFA president Gianni Infantino would ‘very easily’ move 2026 World Cup matches away from designated host cities if he asked him to.
In response, FIFA conceded that host countries are ultimately responsible for making sure their World Cup venues are safe.
‘Safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide. Safety and security are obviously the governments’ responsibility, and they decide what is in the best interest for public safety,’ a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, Boston mayor Michelle Wu implied the city was ready for a faceoff with Trump if he tried to move the matches scheduled for Gillette Stadium in nearby Foxborough.
‘Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person, even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it,’ Wu said on the ‘Java with Jimmy’ show. ‘We are going to continue to be who we are and that means, unfortunately, we are going to continue to be in a conversation in a way that is targeting Boston’s values.’
The United States is scheduled to host 78 of 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup, expanded to 48 teams for the first time. FIFA had no comment on any of the cities or stadiums mentioned by Trump.
Trump also suggested that he would consider moving the 2028 Summer Olympics out of Los Angeles for similar reasons.
‘If I thought L.A. was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location if I had to.’