FIFA: Governments have ‘responsibility’ to ensure safety amid Trump-Boston spar

President Donald Trump’s threats to maneuver scheduled Boston-area matches for FIFA 2026 World Cup may change into a actuality after the world’s soccer governing physique mentioned the U.S. authorities has the ultimate say in the case of the protection of host cities.

A FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that governments have the ultimate say in deciding “what’s in the perfect curiosity of public security.”

President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino discuss within the Oval Workplace of the White Home after signing an government order for a process pressure associated to the FIFA World Cup on March 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Jim Watson/AFP)

“Security and safety are the highest priorities in any respect FIFA occasions worldwide,” the spokesperson informed the newspaper. “Security and safety are in fact the duty of governments, they usually resolve what’s in the perfect pursuits of public security.

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“We hope that every of our sixteen host cities shall be able to host efficiently and meet all needed necessities.”

Fox Information Digital contacted FIFA for remark.

The state of affairs surrounding Boston’s place as one of many host cities for subsequent 12 months’s match started this week when Trump urged he would have the matches moved out of Boston, whereas discussing an incident that came about within the metropolis this week when a gaggle of individuals violently took over one of many metropolis’s streets.

“We will take them away. I like the individuals of Boston. And I do know the video games are bought out, however the mayor is not any good. There are worse than her. At the very least she’s clever. You realize, a few of them have extraordinarily low IQs. These hassle me extra. She’s clever, however she’s radically left,” Trump mentioned. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

Mayor Wu speaks as mayor and metropolis leaders maintain a press convention on violence and drug use in DTC on February 26, 2025. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald by way of Getty Pictures)

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The president added that he may enchantment to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to make the transfer occur if he felt it was needed.

“The reply is, sure, if somebody is doing a foul job and if I really feel there are unsafe circumstances, I’d name Gianni, the top of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and say, ‘Let’s transfer it to a different location,’ and he would try this. He would not love to do it, however he would do it – very simply, he would do it. And that is the proper time to do it.”

Trump doubled down to his risk Wednesday, including: “Now we have the proper to do this with FIFA” if the town does not “put issues so as.”

“If we predict there is a cause that, whether or not it is Boston or wherever, they are not doing their job, then we’ll transfer these World Cup video games elsewhere.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, proper, presents the FIFA World Cup Winners Trophy to President Donald Trump throughout an announcement within the Oval Workplace of the White Home, Friday, August 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Picture/Jacquelyn Martin)

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In a press release to Fox Information Digital, Wu mentioned the town is “honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look ahead to welcoming followers from around the globe to our stunning metropolis, the cradle of freedom and the town of champions.”

Boston is at the moment set to host seven video games when the World Cup involves North America subsequent summer season. The schedule contains 5 group stage matches, one Spherical of 32 match and the primary quarter-final, on July 9.

Fox Information Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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