🔗 Share this article The former president Threatens Removal of 2026 World Cup Games from Massachusetts, Olympic Games from California Ex-president Trump has repeatedly announced he would influence FIFA to relocate global soccer tournament games from a host city based on the local political climate, with Boston now being the latest such city to receive such threats from the White House. Additionally, Trump indicated he would contemplate comparable measures against LA for the 2028 Olympics due to perceived public safety risks. Legal Authority and Potential Influence While Trump does not have formal power to unilaterally remove either tournament, he may exert influence the organizing committees managing each tournament to change venues. Setting for Statements The remarks were made during a media briefing with Javier Milei, who was visiting the executive mansion following the revelation of a $20 billion financial assistance for the Latin American economy. At the end of the gathering, a journalist inquired Trump about a latest “street takeover” in the city where law enforcement were attacked and a patrol car was set on fire. The correspondent also asked if the situation could cause the loss of organizing rights for the expanded World Cup. “I would take them away,” Trump said about the World Cup games, planned to be staged at Gillette Stadium. “The city's leader is poor … she is extremist, and they are dominating areas of downtown. That’s a pretty big statement, isn't it?” Public Gatherings and Ideological Perceptions Street takeovers, a online-fueled occurrence where large crowds gather on urban roads during nighttime to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have become a ongoing issue in US urban areas since the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns. Recent such gatherings have turned violent in the state, notably in the city. Yet, these occurrences are usually not seen as associated with any distinct political ideology. “When a mayor is doing a bad job, and I believe exist security risks, I will call Gianni [Infantino], who is phenomenal, and say it should be shifted to a different city,” Trump stated on Tuesday. “He'd do that. He may not enjoy doing it, but he'd agree. Very easily, he would.” Political Connections The organization's head has been open his attempts to be publicly aligned with the former president before the upcoming World Cup, planned to be hosted in 11 cities across the United States along with several in the northern neighbor and multiple in the southern neighbor. The FIFA president has appeared at various White House functions, facilitated Trump present the Club World Cup trophy after that tournament’s final, and has even postponed his own organization’s congress to travel with Trump on a journey to the Arab region earlier in 2025. Earlier Warnings This has not stopped, Trump from warning about the removal of FIFA World Cup matches from additional American venues. On September 25, Seattle and San Francisco faced similar criticism, with Trump claiming both cities were “governed by far-left extremists who lack understanding what they're managing,” while criticizing the safety level of both areas and implying that games could be removed. Official Rebuttal FIFA vice-president Montagliani dismissed Trump’s claims when he commented days later at a event in London. “It’s the organization's event, FIFA’s jurisdiction, we decide such choices,” the vice-president stated. “Politely to sitting presidents, football is more important than them and football will outlast their administration and their leadership. That’s the beauty of football, that it is bigger than any individual and beyond a nation.” LA Games Warning On Tuesday, Trump’s reply to a question about Boston extended to a comparable warning regarding the upcoming Summer Games. “In case I perceived LA was not sufficiently organized, I'd move it to another location if I had to,” he said. “On that one I’d probably have to get a alternative permission, but we'd proceed.” The permission Trump refers to would must come via the Olympic governing body. Their head, she, was selected to her post in spring and has not yet meet publicly with him, though she indicated that she would like a discussion with the US figure at some point. Additional Criticism He also questioned the state's leader Newsom’s response of this year’s LA wildfires, remarking that a similar situation could lead to the cancellation of the Olympics. “In case Newsom is uncooperative, we are going to have to be very tough,” Trump commented. His message was equally unambiguous for the Massachusetts city. “The city should address these issues,” Trump stated. “That’s all I will say.”