Officials from several U.S. cities preparing to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches are downplaying recent comments by President Donald Trump, who suggested he could pressure FIFA to move games away from locations he deems unsafe.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said he could call FIFA President Gianni Infantino directly if he believed conditions warranted intervention.
“If somebody is doing a bad job and I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location.’ He wouldn’t love to do it, but he would do it very easily.”
It marks the second time in recent weeks that Trump has hinted he could leverage major international events, including the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, to pressure Democratic-led cities to tackle crime and disorder.
Lisa Gillmor, mayor of Santa Clara, California, said the Bay Area’s record of hosting major events speaks for itself. “The Bay Area has a history of hosting major global events, like Super Bowl 50 and other International Soccer matches, with professionalism and success,” she said. “Any suggestion that Santa Clara is unsafe is simply not based in fact. We have been preparing for these games for nearly 3 years, and we will be proud to welcome the world to Santa Clara for the World Cup next year.”
An anonymous host city official acknowledged Trump’s focus on safety but dismissed the notion that the federal government could act on such threats. “Our agreements are between FIFA and the host cities,” the official said. “These are agreements that have been entered into back in 2017 and 2018. The bid itself was endorsed by the first Trump administration.”
Another city official said they were not taking Trump’s remarks seriously.
Trump’s latest criticism targeted Boston and its mayor, Michelle Wu, whom he labelled “radical left,” claiming the city was struggling with “street takeovers” and “unsafe” conditions. “I love the people of Boston, and I know the games are sold out, but your mayor is not good,” Trump said. “She’s intelligent, but she’s radical left, and they’re taking over parts of Boston. … Boston better clean up their act.”
