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Former President Trump has once again declared he would pressure FIFA to pull 2026 World Cup games from a designated city based on that city's politics, with the Boston region emerging as the most recent such city to face such warnings from the White House. Additionally, Trump indicated he would consider comparable measures against Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games due to perceived security concerns.

Jurisdictional Limits and Informal Leverage

Although Trump does not have official jurisdiction to personally cancel either tournament, he can apply pressure the organizing committees overseeing each tournament to change venues.

Context of Remarks

These comments were made during a news conference with Javier Milei, who was present in the executive mansion following the revelation of a multibillion-dollar rescue package for the Argentine country. At the end of the gathering, a reporter asked Trump about a latest “street takeover” in Boston where police officers were attacked and a patrol car was ignited. The correspondent also wondered if such events could lead to the revocation of organizing rights for the larger football competition.

“We could take them away,” Trump stated regarding the FIFA World Cup fixtures, scheduled to be hosted at Gillette Stadium. “She is poor … they're far-left, and they’re taking over parts of downtown. That’s a major claim, right?”

Public Gatherings and Political Context

Public disruptions, a social media-driven trend where large crowds gather on city streets late at night to perform stunts, have become a repeated issue in American cities since the coronavirus restrictions. Current incidents have become aggressive in Massachusetts, including Boston. However, these events are usually not seen as associated with any particular political ideology.

“In cases where someone is failing, and I believe there’s unsafe conditions, I would call the FIFA head, who is outstanding, and say it should be shifted to an alternate venue,” Trump said publicly. “And he would do that. He wouldn’t love doing it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he’d do it.”

Organizational Alignment

The organization's head has publicly acknowledged his strategies to be publicly aligned with Trump prior to the 2026 event, scheduled to be organized in numerous American venues across the United States along with a couple in the northern neighbor and a few in Mexico. The head has participated at multiple presidential gatherings, had Trump present the Club World Cup trophy after that tournament’s final, and has even rescheduled his FIFA's internal meeting to accompany Trump on a visit to the Arab region this year.

Previous Threats

This has not stopped, Trump from warning about the cancellation of soccer events from additional American venues. Recently, the Washington city and the Bay Area metropolis came under comparable criticism, with Trump asserting both cities were “governed by far-left extremists who don’t know what they’re doing,” while criticizing the safety level of both cities and implying that games could be removed.

Official Rebuttal

Victor Montagliani rebuffed Trump’s claims when he commented subsequently at a event in England.

“It is FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” he stated. “Respectfully to current world leaders, football is bigger than any individual and football will endure their regime and their government. That’s the essence of football, that it is bigger than one leader and beyond any country.”

LA Games Warning

On Tuesday, Trump’s response to a query about Boston extended to a similar threat regarding the LA Olympic event.

“If I perceived Los Angeles was not prepared properly, I will shift it to a different city as needed,” Trump stated. “Regarding that event I’d probably have to secure a different kind of consent, but we would take that action.”

Any approval Trump mentioned would must come through the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their president, Kirsty Coventry, was chosen to her post in this year and has yet to appear together with Trump, but she indicated that she desires a discussion with the US figure at some point.

Other Remarks

Trump also questioned Gavin Newsom’s handling of the California fires, saying that a comparable scenario could cause the removal of the Olympics.

“If he refuses to cooperate, we are going to have to be firm,” Trump said.

The warning was similarly unambiguous for the Massachusetts city.

“Boston must improve their situation,” Trump stated. “It's my message.”