President Donald Trump of the United States has asserted that he could withdraw matches from the 2026 FIFA World Cup from a city in America due to issues about safety. Trump stated that the recent unrest in the streets as an example of Boston’s problems, as well as regarding the mayor of the city, Michelle Wu, and how she is handling law and order. He also stated that it was ‘unsafe’.
Trump’s comments make one wonder if these comments are foreshadowing potential last minute changes in host cities, changing host cities would be very unusual for FIFA. Trump, despite having previously asserted that he could have some cities in the US labeled as ‘unsafe’ for the tournament and that he could change ‘the plans’ for each host to take place, FIFA controls the selection process, so it is highly unlikely. Trump suggested that if he felt it was unsafe to play in the city he could take FIFA on the phone and let them move the games FIFA makes these decisions, pulling games now seems unlikely.
The 11 US host cities, plus three host cities in Mexico and two host cities in Canada, are under contract to the FIFA Corporation, and changing to different host cities is a logistical nightmare. Moreover, Trump’s critique of Mayor Wu has injected a political element into the dialogue surrounding the World Cup. He referred to her as being ‘smart’ but then labeled her as a ‘radical left’ as a means to imply that her ‘plan and approach’ have caused safety concerns in the city. This public criticism has increased media attention on Boston to see if they are prepared for the World Cup. As the tournament gets closer in the coming months, Boston will be under pressure to address safety concerns and complete the necessary work to meet what FIFA is looking for regarding the safety of the event. The mitigation or elevation of the overall situation could significantly impact the image of the city and hosting the 2026 World Cup.
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