President Donald Trump renewed his World Cup threat Wednesday, warning that Boston could lose its World Cup hosting rights if city officials fail to improve public safety. The warning came just a day after Boston Mayor Michelle Wu publicly expressed confidence that the city would retain its seven scheduled matches for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
“Somebody said, ‘Would we think about taking the World Cup away from Boston if they don’t straighten it out?’ The answer is yes. We have the right to do that with FIFA,” Trump said during an Oval Office press conference focused on crime reduction.
The former president’s comments follow a violent incident in Boston last week, when over 100 people overtook a street and set a police car ablaze. Trump said such scenes raise serious questions about the city’s readiness to host global sporting events. “If we think there’s any reason that they’re not doing their job, we’re going to take those World Cup games and move them someplace else,” he said.
Wu dismissed the concern, saying, “Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches,” adding that the city looks forward to welcoming fans from around the world. Trump called Wu “radical left” but conceded, “At least she’s intelligent… some are extremely low IQ.”
FIFA has said final decisions rest with the organization, not the U.S. government. But Trump maintains he could call FIFA President Gianni Infantino directly, insisting, “He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it… very easily he’d do it.”
