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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, implied that the city was ready for a face-off with President Donald Trump over his assertion that he could instruct FIFA to relocate World Cup tournament games from the stadium in Foxborough, situated 22 miles southwest of the city.

Wu spoke on a local podcast recently to answer criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." Trump had threatened that he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

Much of it is locked down by agreement so that no one, even if they live in the White House, can change it.

She added, "We're in a world where for drama, for power, for pushing the boundaries ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who stand their ground and submit or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

Mayor Wu further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, sadly, we are going to be part of a discussion that is challenging what Boston stands for." She concluded by emphasizing her support for the city, declaring, "Ten toes down for our city."

Trump's Statements and FIFA Role

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

On Tuesday, President Trump was questioned on recent disturbances in a Boston neighborhood that involved a police car being burned. He replied, "If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there's unsafe conditions, I would call Infantino – the president of the organization, who's great."

Trump added, "I'd tell him: 'Let's move into another location' and they would comply. He might not prefer it. But he would do it without hesitation." Trump also specifically targeted Mayor Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's radical left, and they're dominating some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Warnings and 2026 World Cup Information

Trump has made previous comments that he would take the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 locations across the continent.

The US is co-hosting the 2026 tournament with Mexico and Canada. The 48-team event is scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19 in the coming year.