In his power struggle with democratically governed US cities, President Donald Trump is using the hosting of the 2026 World Cup and his close ties to FIFA as political leverage. Trump said on Tuesday (local time) in the White House that he could easily get world association head Gianni Infantino to remove cities like Boston as venues for World Cup games.
The Republican once again pointed to problems with allegedly escalating crime. In this way, Trump has been trying for months to justify the deployment of National Guard troops in democratically governed US cities – against the will of the governors of the respective states who are normally responsible for this.
Trump: “… then I would call Gianni”
When asked about Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Trump said she was “radically left-wing” and was harming her own city. “If someone is doing a bad job and I feel that the conditions (for hosting World Cup games) are unsafe, then I would call Gianni, the phenomenal head of FIFA, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it somewhere else.’ And he would do it.”
Infantino probably wouldn’t be happy about it, Trump added. “But he would do it in a heartbeat. He would do it. And now is the right time to do it.” Boston Mayor Wu said in a statement that her city looks forward to welcoming fans from around the world.
This is how FIFA reacts to Trump’s statements
Sky News published a FIFA statement in the evening in which the world association appears to be taking Trump’s line. “Safety and security are of course the responsibility of governments and they decide what is in the best interest of public safety,” FIFA said. However, it is hoped that each of the 16 host cities will be ready to “successfully host the World Cup and meet all the necessary requirements”. FIFA did not comment specifically on possible changes regarding the cities.
The USA, Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the World Cup next summer (June 11 to July 19). 11 of the 16 host cities alone are in the United States – including Boston and the also democratically governed West Coast metropolis of Los Angeles.
The Californian city in particular hit the headlines around the world when Trump deployed soldiers there months ago in the first operation of this kind – with the declared aim of pushing back protests against raids by the immigration agency ICE. Operations later followed in other cities, for which National Guardsmen were also mobilized despite political resistance.
Choice of host cities is not in Trump’s hands
Trump has now said that he could also request a change of venue for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles if, in his opinion, the city “is not adequately prepared”. This would probably require a different procedure than when re-allocating World Cup games, “but we would do it.”
The choice of host cities is not in Trump’s hands. The cities have signed a contract with FIFA, which would face serious problems if a location were lost eight months before the start of the tournament. “It’s a FIFA tournament, FIFA’s responsibility, FIFA makes these decisions,” Vice President Victor Montagliani from Canada recently said on this topic.
FIFA boss maintains close ties to Trump
FIFA boss Infantino maintains close ties to Trump and – to the astonishment of many observers – was also present at the recent ceremony in Egypt to sign a peace declaration for the Middle East arranged by the US President.
Infantino has been appearing at important global political events for years and has repeatedly emphasized what he believes to be the unifying power of football. Critics accuse him of inappropriate closeness to states and governments that do not share democratic values and disregard basic human rights.
