Trump Warns of Removal of 2026 World Cup Games from the Boston area, Olympics from Los Angeles

Ex-president Trump has repeatedly stated he would urge FIFA to pull upcoming World Cup events from a venue based on municipal governance, with Boston now being the third targeted location to encounter such statements from the White House. Moreover, Trump indicated he would consider comparable measures against Southern California for the upcoming Olympic Games due to perceived public safety risks.

Official Power and Informal Leverage

Even though Trump does not have official jurisdiction to personally cancel either competition, he is able to exert influence the respective governing bodies managing each tournament to move host cities.

Setting for Statements

The remarks were made during a news conference with Argentinian president Milei, who was present in the executive mansion following the announcement of a $20 billion bailout for the South American nation. At the conclusion of the event, a journalist questioned Trump about a recent unauthorized gathering in downtown Boston where law enforcement were attacked and a patrol car was burned. The journalist also asked if the situation could cause the revocation of organizing rights for the larger soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” Trump stated about the soccer games, set to be hosted at the Foxborough venue. “The city's leader is ineffective … they're radical left, and they’re taking over areas of the city. That’s a significant claim, right?”

Urban Disturbances and Ideological Perceptions

Street takeovers, a online-fueled trend where large crowds gather on urban roads during nighttime to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have been a frequent nuisance in metropolitan centers since the lockdown shutdowns. Latest such gatherings have become aggressive in Massachusetts, notably in Boston. However, these gatherings are generally not considered linked to any specific partisan agenda.

“In cases where someone is performing poorly, and I believe exist dangerous circumstances, I'd call the organization's president, who is phenomenal, and suggest we should relocate it to an alternate venue,” Trump said publicly. “And he would do that. He might not prefer to do it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he'd comply.”

FIFA Relationship

The organization's head has been open his attempts to be closely connected with Trump before the upcoming World Cup, planned to be hosted in 11 cities across the America along with several in the northern neighbor and three in Mexico. The organization's leader has appeared at several White House functions, arranged for Trump hand over the Club World Cup trophy after the concluding game, and has even postponed his the group's assembly to travel with Trump on a journey to the Arab region this year.

Earlier Warnings

Despite this, Trump from suggesting the removal of World Cup matches from other US host cities. On September 25, Seattle and the Bay Area metropolis faced comparable statements, with Trump claiming both cities were “led by far-left extremists who don’t know what they're managing,” while challenging the safety level of both cities and implying that games could be relocated.

FIFA Response

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rejected Trump’s assertions when he commented subsequently at a conference in England.

“This is FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, the organization determines those decisions,” he stated. “Politely to current world leaders, the sport is bigger than any individual and football will endure their administration and their leadership. That is the strength of football, that it is bigger than any individual and more important than a nation.”

Olympics Threat

During the event, Trump’s response to a query about Boston veered into a parallel statement regarding the LA Olympic event.

“When I believed Los Angeles was not going to be sufficiently organized, I'd relocate it to a different city if I had to,” he said. “For the Olympics I might have to get a varying consent, but we would do that.”

Official consent Trump refers to would must come via the Olympic governing body. Their head, she, was elected to her role in this year and has so far not meet publicly with the former president, though she indicated that she would like a sit-down with Trump at a future time.

Other Remarks

He also condemned California governor Newsom’s management of recent LA wildfires, remarking that a similar situation could lead to the relocation of the event.

“If the governor refuses to cooperate, we are going to have to be strict,” Trump stated.

His statement was just as direct for Boston.

“The city better clean up their act,” Trump stated. “It's I can say.”
Rebecca Peters
Rebecca Peters

Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for exploring how emerging technologies shape our future.