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Former President Trump has repeatedly announced he would urge FIFA to pull global soccer tournament matches from a host city based on the local politics, with Massachusetts emerging as the most recent targeted location to face such threats from the US president. Additionally, Trump suggested he would consider comparable measures against LA for the 2028 Summer Games due to possible security concerns.

Legal Authority and Informal Leverage

Although Trump does not have official jurisdiction to unilaterally remove either event, he can lobby the organizing committees in charge of each tournament to shift host cities.

Setting for Statements

His comments were made during a media briefing with Javier Milei, who was at the presidential residence following the announcement of a multibillion-dollar financial assistance for the Argentine nation. Near the conclusion of the meeting, a media member questioned Trump about a current “street takeover” in downtown Boston where authorities were attacked and a cruiser was burned. The correspondent also questioned if these incidents could cause the loss of organizing rights for the larger soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” the former president remarked concerning the FIFA World Cup matches, planned to be staged at the Massachusetts arena. “The city's leader is ineffective … she’s far-left, and they’re occupying areas of downtown. It's a pretty big assertion, right?”

Urban Disturbances and Public Safety Concerns

Street takeovers, a social media-driven trend where groups of people gather on urban roads after dark to engage in dangerous driving, have emerged as a ongoing issue in American cities since the Covid-19 pandemic closures. Latest incidents have turned violent in the region, specifically in Boston. However, these occurrences are usually not considered associated with any particular partisan agenda.

“If someone is doing a bad job, and I believe exist unsafe conditions, I will call the organization's president, who is outstanding, and say it should be shifted to another location,” Trump commented publicly. “He'd do that. He may not enjoy the action, but he would comply. Very easily, he'd comply.”

FIFA Relationship

FIFA President has been open his efforts to be publicly aligned with the former president before the 2026 event, scheduled to be organized in numerous American venues across the United States along with two in Canada and three in Mexico. The FIFA president has appeared at multiple presidential gatherings, facilitated Trump hand over the club tournament cup after that tournament’s final, and has even rescheduled his FIFA's internal meeting to accompany Trump on a journey to the Arab region this year.

Past Statements

This has not stopped, Trump from warning about the relocation of soccer matches from additional American venues. In late September, Seattle and San Francisco faced similar comments, with Trump claiming both cities were “run by ideological activists who are clueless what they're managing,” while questioning the public safety of both cities and suggesting that events could be shifted.

Official Rebuttal

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rejected Trump’s claims when he commented days later at a event in London.

“It’s the organization's event, under our authority, we decide those decisions,” Montagliani stated. “Politely to current world leaders, soccer is more important than them and football will endure their regime and their policies. That’s the essence of football, that it is more significant than a single person and bigger than individual states.”

2028 Comments

On Tuesday, Trump’s answer to a question about Boston included a similar threat regarding the LA Olympic event.

“When I believed Los Angeles was not going to be sufficiently organized, I would shift it to a different city if necessary,” Trump stated. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to secure a varying consent, but we'd proceed.”

Official consent Trump mentioned would need to come from the IOC. Their leader, she, was elected to her post in this year and has so far not meet publicly with Trump, but she stated that she hopes for a sit-down with Trump at a future time.

Additional Criticism

Trump also condemned Gavin Newsom’s management of recent blazes, saying that a comparable scenario could result in the cancellation of the Games.

“If he doesn’t play ball, we’re gonna have to be very tough,” Trump commented.

The warning was similarly direct for Boston.

“Boston better address these issues,” Trump stated. “It's I can say.”