President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that Boston could lose its 2026 World Cup matches if city officials don’t get tougher on crime.
“We could take them away,” Trump said of the seven games scheduled at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — dubbed “Boston Stadium” for the tournament. “I love the people of Boston, and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is not good.”
The president took aim at Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, calling her “intelligent but radical left,” and accused city leaders of letting “parts of Boston be taken over,” without elaborating.
“If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni — the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal — and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location,’” Trump said. “He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.”
Wu answered in a statement Tuesday night, saying: “Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions.”
Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots, is slated to host seven of the 104 matches when the U.S., Mexico and Canada share hosting duties for the 2026 tournament.
FIFA, not the White House, controls host cities. “It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction,” said FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani earlier this month.
Trump also took a swipe at Los Angeles, suggesting he could move the 2028 Summer Olympics if that city isn’t “ready.”
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