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The mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, implied that the city was ready for a face-off with President Donald Trump regarding his claim that he could instruct FIFA to remove World Cup tournament games from Gillette Stadium, situated 22 miles southwest of the city.

Mayor Wu appeared on a local podcast recently to answer criticism from the White House, which had labeled her as "radical left." President Trump had threatened that he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino if Boston did not "address its issues."

Much of it is secured by contract so that no one, even if they live in the White House, can undo it.

Wu added, "We're in a world where for drama, for control, to test limits ... repeated warnings ... are directed at people and cities who refuse to back down and comply or be obedient to a hateful agenda."

She further stated, "We are going to continue being ourselves, and that means, unfortunately, we are going to be in a conversation that is targeting Boston's values." She finished by emphasizing her commitment for the city, saying, "Fully committed for Boston."

The President's Statements and FIFA Role

Earlier this week, Infantino was seen alongside Trump at the Gaza summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Infantino has also been to the White House and given World Cup and club championship awards to Trump as presents.

Earlier, Trump was asked about recent disturbances in South Boston that included a police car being set on fire. He replied, "If things aren't handled well, and if I feel there's danger, I would call Infantino – the president of FIFA, who's great."

He added, "I would say: 'Let's move into another location' and they would do that. He wouldn't love to do it. But he would do it without hesitation." The president also directly criticized Mayor Wu, saying, "Boston's mayor is not good ... she's far-left, and they're taking over some areas in Boston. That's a pretty big statement, right?"

Past Threats and 2026 World Cup Information

Trump has made previous comments that he would take the similar discussion with the FIFA president about relocating games from Seattle and San Francisco, which are among the 16 host cities across the continent.

The US is joint hosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. The expanded tournament is planned to be held from June 11 to 19 July in the coming year.