🔗 Share this article Trump Threatens Relocation of FIFA World Cup Fixtures from Boston, 2028 Olympics from LA Donald Trump has yet again announced he would influence FIFA to remove global soccer tournament events from a venue based on that city's governance, with Massachusetts emerging as the third such city to encounter such warnings from the US president. Additionally, Trump remarked he would consider parallel steps against Southern California for the 2028 Summer Games due to possible public safety risks. Jurisdictional Limits and Informal Leverage While Trump lacks formal power to unilaterally remove either competition, he can lobby the international organizations overseeing each competition to change host cities. Setting for Statements His statements were made during a media briefing with Argentinian president Milei, who was present in the presidential residence following the revelation of a massive rescue package for the Latin American country. Toward the conclusion of the event, a journalist asked Trump about a current unauthorized gathering in the city where police officers were targeted and a patrol car was ignited. The correspondent also wondered if such events could result in the loss of tournament responsibilities for the 48-team soccer tournament. “We could take them away,” the former president remarked concerning the FIFA World Cup games, planned to be staged at the Foxborough venue. “Their mayor is not good … they're far-left, and they are occupying sections of downtown. That’s a significant statement, don't you think?” Urban Disturbances and Public Safety Concerns Unauthorized gatherings, a social media-driven occurrence where groups of people assemble on public avenues during nighttime to perform stunts, have become a frequent problem in US urban areas since the lockdown shutdowns. Current incidents have become aggressive in the region, specifically in Boston. However, these gatherings are generally not regarded as linked to any particular ideological group. “If a mayor is performing poorly, and I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call the organization's president, who is excellent, and tell him we should relocate it to a different city,” the former president stated during the event. “He'd do that. He might not prefer doing it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he'd comply.” Political Connections The organization's head has been open his strategies to be publicly aligned with the US leader prior to the upcoming World Cup, planned to be hosted in multiple US locations across the United States along with two in the northern neighbor and a few in Mexico. The organization's leader has been present at several Oval Office events, arranged for Trump present the club tournament trophy after that tournament’s final, and has even delayed his FIFA's internal meeting to travel with Trump on a trip to the Gulf states earlier in 2025. Previous Threats Despite this, Trump from suggesting the cancellation of FIFA World Cup games from additional American venues. In late September, Seattle and San Francisco faced comparable criticism, with Trump claiming both cities were “governed by ideological activists who don’t know what they are doing,” while criticizing the public safety of both locales and claiming that events could be removed. Official Rebuttal Victor Montagliani rejected Trump’s statements when he reacted days later at a conference in London. “This is FIFA’s tournament, under our authority, we decide those decisions,” Montagliani declared. “Politely to current world leaders, football is more important than political figures and football will outlast their regime and their policies. That is the essence of our game, that it is more significant than one leader and bigger than any country.” 2028 Comments Similarly, Trump’s response to a query about Boston extended to a similar threat regarding the upcoming Summer Games. “If I believed LA was not sufficiently organized, I would shift it to an alternate venue if necessary,” he said. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to get a different kind of permission, but we would proceed.” Official consent Trump refers to would have to come via the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The head, Kirsty Coventry, was selected to her post in this year and has yet to meet publicly with the former president, although she stated that she desires a meeting with Trump at some point. Additional Criticism Trump also condemned the state's leader Newsom’s handling of the LA wildfires, saying that a similar situation could lead to the removal of the Olympics. “If he doesn’t play ball, we’re gonna have to be strict,” he commented. His message was similarly direct for Boston. “They should clean up their act,” he said. “That is my message.”