The former president Threatens Relocation of World Cup Matches from Boston, Olympics from LA

Donald Trump has repeatedly announced he would influence FIFA to pull upcoming World Cup games from a host city based on the local governance, with Boston becoming the most recent targeted location to receive such warnings from the White House. Furthermore, Trump suggested he would evaluate comparable measures against Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics due to potential security concerns.

Jurisdictional Limits and Possible Pressure

Even though Trump lacks formal power to directly relocate either tournament, he can lobby the respective governing bodies in charge of each competition to change venues.

Background of Comments

These comments were made during a media briefing with Argentina's leader Milei, who was present in the White House following the revelation of a massive rescue package for the Argentine country. Near the end of the gathering, a reporter asked Trump about a latest unauthorized gathering in the city where law enforcement were targeted and a police vehicle was ignited. The journalist also wondered if these incidents could result in the removal of organizing rights for the larger soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” the former president said about the FIFA World Cup fixtures, set to be staged at Gillette Stadium. “Their mayor is not good … they're extremist, and they are dominating sections of the city. It's a major statement, right?”

Street Takeovers and Public Safety Concerns

Street takeovers, a social media-driven occurrence where participants gather on public avenues during nighttime to engage in dangerous driving, have become a repeated problem in US urban areas since the coronavirus closures. Recent incidents have become aggressive in the region, including downtown. However, these occurrences are usually not seen as tied to any distinct partisan agenda.

“In cases where a city is failing, and I perceive exist dangerous circumstances, I will call the FIFA head, who is phenomenal, and suggest we should relocate it to an alternate venue,” he said on Tuesday. “He'd do that. He wouldn’t love doing it, but he'd agree. Very easily, he would.”

Organizational Alignment

Gianni Infantino has been open his efforts to be visibly associated with the US leader ahead of next year’s tournament, planned to be organized in multiple US locations across the United States along with a couple in the northern neighbor and three in Mexico. The head has participated at various Oval Office events, arranged for Trump hand over the club tournament trophy after that tournament’s final, and has even rescheduled his FIFA's internal meeting to accompany Trump on a trip to the Gulf states earlier in 2025.

Previous Threats

Nevertheless, Trump from warning about the removal of World Cup events from additional American venues. On September 25, the Washington city and the Bay Area metropolis faced parallel statements, with Trump claiming both cities were “run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they're managing,” while challenging the security conditions of both cities and implying that matches could be removed.

Organizational Statement

Victor Montagliani dismissed Trump’s claims when he responded subsequently at a conference in the UK capital.

“It is our competition, our responsibility, FIFA makes those decisions,” Montagliani said. “With all due respect to current world leaders, the sport is more important than them and the game will survive their tenure and their leadership. That is the beauty of this sport, that it is bigger than a single person and beyond a nation.”

Olympics Threat

Similarly, Trump’s reply to a question about the Massachusetts city included a similar threat regarding the upcoming Summer Games.

“When I believed Los Angeles was not sufficiently organized, I would shift it to another location if necessary,” Trump stated. “Regarding that event I might have to secure a alternative approval, but we will do that.”

Any approval Trump mentioned would have to come via the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The president, Kirsty Coventry, was elected to her role in March and has yet to hold a public appearance with Trump, but she said that she would like a discussion with the US figure at some point.

Further Comments

Trump also condemned California governor Newsom’s management of this year’s California fires, stating that a parallel incident could result in the removal of the event.

“When the governor is uncooperative, we will have to be firm,” he stated.

His statement was similarly unambiguous for Boston.

“They better address these issues,” he said. “That’s all I can say.”