Donald Trump Suggests Pulling of 2026 World Cup Matches from the Boston area, 2028 Olympics from California

Donald Trump has once again declared he would urge FIFA to relocate global soccer tournament events from a venue based on municipal politics, with the Boston region becoming the most recent urban area to receive such statements from the US president. Moreover, Trump indicated he would contemplate parallel steps against Los Angeles for the upcoming Olympic Games due to perceived security concerns.

Jurisdictional Limits and Informal Leverage

While Trump holds no formal power to unilaterally remove either tournament, he may lobby the organizing committees in charge of each competition to change locations.

Context of Remarks

The remarks were made during a press event with Argentinian president Milei, who was at the White House following the announcement of a massive financial assistance for the Argentine country. Near the end of the event, a journalist inquired Trump about a recent public disturbance in downtown Boston where police officers were targeted and a cruiser was burned. The journalist also asked if these incidents could result in the revocation of hosting duties for the larger football competition.

“We could take them away,” the former president stated about the soccer games, scheduled to be held at Gillette Stadium. “The city's leader is poor … she is extremist, and activists are dominating parts of downtown. That’s a major assertion, right?”

Urban Disturbances and Ideological Perceptions

Unauthorized gatherings, a online-fueled phenomenon where large crowds congregate on public avenues after dark to engage in dangerous driving, have been a repeated problem in US urban areas since the coronavirus restrictions. Current similar events have turned violent in Massachusetts, specifically in downtown. Yet, these events are generally not regarded as tied to any particular ideological group.

“In cases where someone is doing a bad job, and I believe exist dangerous circumstances, I would call the FIFA head, who is phenomenal, and suggest we should relocate it to a different city,” the former president commented publicly. “He will do that. He might not prefer the action, but he would comply. Readily, he would.”

Organizational Alignment

Gianni Infantino has publicly acknowledged his efforts to be closely connected with Trump prior to the upcoming World Cup, planned to be organized in multiple US locations across the US along with several in the northern neighbor and three in the southern neighbor. The FIFA president has participated at several Oval Office events, facilitated Trump deliver the club tournament award after that tournament’s final, and has even delayed his the group's assembly to travel with Trump on a trip to the Gulf states earlier in 2025.

Earlier Warnings

Nevertheless, Trump from threatening the cancellation of soccer events from other US host cities. Recently, the Washington city and San Francisco faced parallel statements, with Trump stating both urban centers were “run by far-left extremists who are clueless what they are doing,” while criticizing the public safety of both locales and claiming that matches could be relocated.

FIFA Response

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rebuffed Trump’s claims when he commented afterward at a conference in London.

“This is the organization's event, our responsibility, we decide those decisions,” Montagliani stated. “Respectfully to current world leaders, football is bigger than any individual and football will endure their regime and their government. That is the strength of our game, that it is more significant than a single person and bigger than individual states.”

2028 Comments

Similarly, Trump’s response to a question about Boston extended to a similar threat regarding the LA Olympic event.

“If I thought LA was not sufficiently organized, I'd shift it to another location if I had to,” Trump stated. “On that one I may have to get a varying permission, but we would take that action.”

Any approval Trump refers to would have to come through the Olympic governing body. Their president, she, was elected to her post in this year and has not yet hold a public appearance with him, although she said that she desires a sit-down with Trump at a future time.

Further Comments

The former president also criticized the state's leader Newsom’s handling of recent California fires, saying that a comparable scenario could result in the removal of the Games.

“In case he doesn’t play ball, we are going to have to be strict,” the former president commented.

The warning was equally direct for Boston.

“The city better clean up their act,” Trump stated. “It's my message.”