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Donald Trump has once again declared he would influence FIFA to pull global soccer tournament events from a host city based on municipal governance, with Boston emerging as the most recent targeted location to encounter such threats from the US president. Furthermore, Trump suggested he would contemplate parallel steps against Southern California 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 tournament, he can lobby the respective governing bodies in charge of each competition to change host cities.

Setting for Statements

The statements were made during a news conference with Javier Milei, who was visiting the White House following the disclosure of a massive financial assistance for the Latin American country. Toward the conclusion of the meeting, a reporter inquired Trump about a current public disturbance in downtown Boston where police officers were attacked and a patrol car was set on fire. The journalist also questioned if such events could result in the revocation of tournament responsibilities for the expanded soccer tournament.

“We could take them away,” Trump stated regarding the soccer fixtures, set to be staged at Gillette Stadium. “Their mayor is poor … she’s extremist, and they’re occupying sections of Boston. It's a major statement, right?”

Street Takeovers and Political Context

Public disruptions, a online-fueled trend where participants assemble on urban roads late at night to engage in dangerous driving, have become a repeated nuisance in American cities since the lockdown restrictions. Recent incidents have become aggressive in the region, specifically in downtown. However, these occurrences are generally not regarded as tied to any distinct partisan agenda.

“If someone is failing, and I believe exist dangerous circumstances, I would call the FIFA head, who is outstanding, and tell him we should relocate it to an alternate venue,” Trump stated during the event. “And he would do that. He may not enjoy the action, but he would comply. Without hesitation, he’d do it.”

Organizational Alignment

FIFA President has been open his attempts to be publicly aligned with the former president prior to the 2026 event, scheduled to be organized in numerous American venues across the United States along with several in the northern neighbor and a few in Mexico. The organization's leader has been present at various Oval Office gatherings, arranged for Trump hand over the Club World Cup award after the championship match, and has even rescheduled his own organization’s congress to join Trump on a journey to the Gulf states earlier in 2025.

Earlier Warnings

Despite this, Trump from suggesting the relocation of FIFA World Cup games from different locations. In late September, Seattle and San Francisco faced parallel statements, with Trump stating both urban centers were “led by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they're managing,” while criticizing the public safety of both areas and implying that matches could be shifted.

Organizational Statement

Victor Montagliani rejected Trump’s assertions when he reacted subsequently at a gathering in England.

“It’s FIFA’s tournament, under our authority, we decide these matters,” the vice-president stated. “Respectfully to sitting presidents, the sport is more important than political figures and the game will outlast their regime and their government. That is the beauty of this sport, that it is bigger than a single person and beyond any country.”

Olympics Threat

On Tuesday, Trump’s response to a inquiry about Boston extended to a similar threat regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“In case I believed LA was not prepared properly, I would move it to an alternate venue if I had to,” he remarked. “For the Olympics I might have to obtain a varying approval, but we would do that.”

The permission Trump alluded to would need to come via the Olympic governing body. The head, the newly elected president, was chosen to her position in March and has yet to appear together with Trump, though she said that she hopes for a discussion with the US figure at a future time.

Other Remarks

Trump also condemned California governor Newsom’s handling of recent blazes, remarking that a parallel incident could cause the relocation of the Games.

“If he doesn’t play ball, we will have to be strict,” the former president commented.

His message was equally clear for Boston.

“The city better clean up their act,” he said. “That is my message.”