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Ex-president Trump has once again stated he would influence FIFA to relocate global soccer tournament events from a designated city based on municipal politics, with Boston emerging as the most recent urban area to receive such threats from the White House. Moreover, Trump remarked he would consider similar action against LA for the 2028 Summer Games due to possible public safety risks.

Legal Authority and Informal Leverage

While Trump holds no formal power to directly relocate either competition, he can lobby the respective governing bodies overseeing each event to shift host cities.

Background of Comments

His remarks were made during a media briefing with Argentinian president Milei, who was at the presidential residence following the revelation of a $20 billion bailout for the Latin American nation. Toward the end of the meeting, a journalist inquired Trump about a latest “street takeover” in downtown Boston where police officers were targeted and a police vehicle was burned. The reporter also questioned if these incidents could cause the revocation of hosting duties for the 48-team soccer tournament.

“It's possible to take them away,” the former president stated concerning the FIFA World Cup matches, set to be held at the Massachusetts arena. “Their mayor is not good … they're extremist, and activists are occupying sections of Boston. That’s a major statement, right?”

Public Gatherings and Public Safety Concerns

Street takeovers, a online-fueled occurrence where participants assemble on urban roads during nighttime to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have emerged as a frequent issue in American cities since the lockdown shutdowns. Recent such gatherings have become aggressive in Massachusetts, specifically in downtown. Nevertheless, these events are typically not regarded as associated with any particular partisan agenda.

“If a city is doing a bad job, and I perceive exist security risks, I will call the organization's president, who is outstanding, and suggest we should relocate it to a different city,” he stated during the event. “He'd do that. He wouldn’t love doing it, but he’d do it. Readily, he would.”

Organizational Alignment

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his efforts to be visibly associated with the US leader ahead of the 2026 event, planned to be hosted in multiple US locations across the America along with two in the northern neighbor and multiple in Mexico. The head has participated at several White House functions, had Trump present the Club World Cup cup after the championship match, and has even postponed his own organization’s congress to join Trump on a trip to the Gulf states previously.

Past Statements

This has not stopped, Trump from suggesting the removal of World Cup events from different locations. In late September, Seattle and San Francisco came under comparable statements, with Trump claiming both urban centers were “led by ideological activists who don’t know what they are doing,” while questioning the safety level of both locales and claiming that games could be relocated.

FIFA Response

The organization's deputy Montagliani rebuffed Trump’s statements when he reacted days later at a conference in England.

“It is the organization's event, our responsibility, FIFA makes these matters,” the vice-president said. “Respectfully to current world leaders, the sport is bigger than political figures and football will outlast their tenure and their leadership. That is the essence of football, that it is more significant than any individual and beyond a nation.”

LA Games Warning

During the event, Trump’s reply to a question about the Massachusetts city included a comparable warning regarding the LA Olympic event.

“In case I perceived the city was not going to be adequately ready, I will relocate it to an alternate venue if necessary,” he remarked. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to get a varying approval, but we would proceed.”

Any approval Trump mentioned would must come from the IOC. Their head, she, was selected to her post in this year and has so far not meet publicly with him, but she said that she would like a sit-down with the US figure at a future time.

Further Comments

He also condemned Gavin Newsom’s management of this year’s California fires, stating that a similar situation could lead to the cancellation of the Olympics.

“If Newsom doesn’t play ball, we are going to have to be very tough,” he said.

The warning was just as unambiguous for Boston.

“The city must improve their situation,” he remarked. “That is I will say.”