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Donald Trump has yet again announced he would urge FIFA to pull upcoming World Cup matches from a venue based on municipal governance, with Boston now being the most recent urban area to face such warnings from the American leader. Additionally, Trump suggested he would evaluate comparable measures against Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games due to perceived safety issues.

Legal Authority and Informal Leverage

Even though Trump does not have direct legal authority to unilaterally remove either competition, he is able to exert influence the organizing committees overseeing each competition to shift locations.

Context of Remarks

His statements were made during a media briefing with Javier Milei, who was visiting the White House following the disclosure of a $20 billion bailout for the South American country. Toward the end of the gathering, a journalist questioned Trump about a recent “street takeover” in downtown Boston where law enforcement were attacked and a cruiser was set on fire. The reporter also questioned if these incidents could result in the loss of tournament responsibilities for the 48-team football competition.

“It's possible to take them away,” Trump said regarding the soccer matches, scheduled to be hosted at Gillette Stadium. “The city's leader is poor … they're radical left, and they’re dominating sections of downtown. That is a pretty big claim, isn't it?”

Urban Disturbances and Public Safety Concerns

Street takeovers, a social media-driven phenomenon where participants congregate on city streets during nighttime to engage in dangerous driving, have been a repeated nuisance in metropolitan centers since the lockdown restrictions. Recent such gatherings have turned violent in the region, specifically in Boston. Yet, these gatherings are typically not regarded as associated with any distinct political ideology.

“In cases where a city is doing a bad job, and I feel there’s security risks, I would call the organization's president, who is outstanding, and tell him it should be shifted to an alternate venue,” he stated during the event. “And he would do that. He might not prefer doing it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he'd comply.”

Political Connections

Gianni Infantino has publicly acknowledged his attempts to be visibly associated with the former president prior to next year’s tournament, set to be organized in multiple US locations across the US along with a couple in Canada and multiple in the southern neighbor. The FIFA president has participated at multiple White House functions, facilitated Trump deliver the club tournament award after the championship match, and has even postponed his the group's assembly to travel with Trump on a journey to the Gulf states earlier in 2025.

Past Statements

Nevertheless, Trump from threatening the cancellation of World Cup matches from additional American venues. In late September, the Washington city and the Bay Area metropolis faced similar statements, with Trump stating both locations were “led by far-left extremists who lack understanding what they're managing,” while challenging the safety level of both locales and implying that matches could be removed.

Official Rebuttal

Victor Montagliani dismissed Trump’s claims when he responded days later at a gathering in England.

“This is our competition, our responsibility, FIFA makes those decisions,” he said. “Respectfully to sitting presidents, football is bigger than political figures and football will survive their regime and their government. That is the beauty of football, that it is more significant than one leader and bigger than any country.”

2028 Comments

On Tuesday, Trump’s answer to a query about the Massachusetts city included a similar threat regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“When I believed Los Angeles was not going to be adequately ready, I would shift it to a different city if necessary,” he remarked. “For the Olympics I might have to secure a different kind of consent, but we will do that.”

Any approval Trump refers to would must come from the Olympic governing body. The president, the newly elected president, was elected to her role in spring and has so far not meet publicly with him, though she indicated that she would like a meeting with Trump at some point.

Further Comments

The former president also criticized the state's leader Newsom’s response of the blazes, stating that a comparable scenario could result in the removal of the Games.

“If the governor refuses to cooperate, we are going to have to be very tough,” he stated.

His statement was just as clear for Boston.

“The city must improve their situation,” he said. “That’s all I will say.”