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Donald Trump has once again stated he would pressure FIFA to pull global soccer tournament events from a host city based on the local politics, with Boston now being the latest urban area to encounter such warnings from the US president. Furthermore, Trump indicated he would contemplate similar action against Southern California for the 2028 Summer Games due to potential security concerns.

Official Power and Potential Influence

While Trump does not have formal power to unilaterally remove either competition, he can exert influence the organizing committees in charge of each competition to shift venues.

Setting for Statements

These statements were made during a news conference with Javier Milei, who was visiting the executive mansion following the announcement of a $20 billion bailout for the Argentine country. At the end of the event, a journalist questioned Trump about a current unauthorized gathering in downtown Boston where law enforcement were attacked and a cruiser was burned. The correspondent also asked if such events could cause the removal of organizing rights for the expanded soccer tournament.

“It's possible to take them away,” Trump said regarding the World Cup fixtures, scheduled to be staged at the Foxborough venue. “She is poor … she’s radical left, and activists are taking over areas of Boston. That is a significant assertion, isn't it?”

Street Takeovers and Ideological Perceptions

Public disruptions, a social media-driven trend where participants gather on city streets late at night to perform stunts, have emerged as a ongoing problem in metropolitan centers since the Covid-19 pandemic shutdowns. Current such gatherings have turned violent in Massachusetts, including downtown. Yet, these occurrences are usually not seen as associated with any distinct ideological group.

“In cases where someone is doing a bad job, and I feel there are dangerous circumstances, I'd call Gianni [Infantino], who is outstanding, and suggest it should be shifted to another location,” the former president said during the event. “He'd do that. He might not prefer the action, but he'd agree. Very easily, he’d do it.”

FIFA Relationship

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his attempts to be visibly associated with the former president prior to the 2026 event, set to be hosted in multiple US locations across the US along with a couple in Canada and three in the southern neighbor. The FIFA president has participated at several Oval Office events, arranged for Trump present the FIFA club trophy after the championship match, and has even rescheduled his FIFA's internal meeting to accompany Trump on a trip to the Middle East earlier in 2025.

Previous Threats

Despite this, Trump from threatening the relocation of soccer matches from different locations. In late September, the Washington city and the Bay Area metropolis were parallel comments, with Trump stating both urban centers were “led by ideological activists who don’t know what they are doing,” while criticizing the security conditions of both locales and suggesting that events could be removed.

Organizational Statement

Victor Montagliani dismissed Trump’s assertions when he responded subsequently at a gathering in London.

“This is our competition, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes such choices,” Montagliani said. “With all due respect to current world leaders, football is transcends political figures and the game will endure their regime and their government. That’s the beauty of our game, that it is more significant than a single person and bigger than a nation.”

LA Games Warning

On Tuesday, Trump’s response to a question about the Massachusetts city included a comparable warning regarding the upcoming Summer Games.

“When I believed the city was not sufficiently organized, I would shift it to an alternate venue as needed,” he remarked. “Regarding that event I may have to secure a different kind of approval, but we'd take that action.”

The permission Trump refers to would must come through the Olympic governing body. Their president, Kirsty Coventry, was selected to her position in March and has not yet appear together with him, though she said that she would like a sit-down with Trump at some point.

Other Remarks

Trump also condemned Gavin Newsom’s response of this year’s California fires, saying that a parallel incident could result in the relocation of the Olympics.

“In case he doesn’t play ball, we are going to have to be firm,” Trump said.

His statement was equally direct for Boston.

“Boston better improve their situation,” he said. “It's I will say.”