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Ex-president Trump has repeatedly announced he would urge FIFA to relocate 2026 World Cup games from a designated city based on that city's political climate, with Massachusetts now being the third such city to face such statements from the American leader. Moreover, Trump suggested he would evaluate parallel steps against Southern California for the upcoming Olympic Games due to potential security concerns.

Jurisdictional Limits and Potential Influence

Even though Trump holds no official jurisdiction to unilaterally remove either event, he may lobby the international organizations overseeing each event to move locations.

Setting for Statements

His remarks were made during a media briefing with Argentina's leader Milei, who was at the presidential residence following the announcement of a massive financial assistance for the Latin American economy. Toward the end of the gathering, a media member inquired Trump about a latest “street takeover” in the city where police officers were attacked and a cruiser was set on fire. The correspondent also wondered if the situation could cause the removal of hosting duties for the expanded soccer tournament.

“I would take them away,” the former president remarked concerning the soccer games, planned to be hosted at the Foxborough venue. “The city's leader is not good … they're radical left, and they’re taking over sections of Boston. It's a major claim, isn't it?”

Public Gatherings and Ideological Perceptions

Street takeovers, a digitally organized trend where participants gather on city streets late at night to conduct vehicular acrobatics, have become a repeated nuisance in US urban areas since the lockdown closures. Latest similar events have turned violent in Massachusetts, notably in Boston. Nevertheless, these events are generally not regarded as linked to any particular partisan agenda.

“If a city is doing a bad job, and I feel there’s security risks, I will call Gianni [Infantino], who is excellent, and say we should relocate it to an alternate venue,” he said on Tuesday. “He'd do that. He might not prefer doing it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he’d do it.”

Organizational Alignment

Gianni Infantino has publicly acknowledged his attempts to be publicly aligned with the US leader ahead of the 2026 event, planned to be organized in numerous American venues across the United States along with several in Canada and a few in Mexico. The head has appeared at multiple Oval Office gatherings, had Trump deliver the club tournament cup after that tournament’s final, and has even postponed his own organization’s congress to travel with Trump on a journey to the Gulf states earlier in 2025.

Past Statements

Despite this, Trump from suggesting the relocation of soccer matches from different locations. On September 25, the Washington city and the Bay Area metropolis faced similar comments, with Trump asserting both cities were “led by far-left extremists who are clueless what they’re doing,” while criticizing the security conditions of both areas and suggesting that events could be relocated.

FIFA Response

FIFA vice-president Montagliani rejected Trump’s statements when he reacted subsequently at a event in the UK capital.

“It is FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” he stated. “Respectfully to sitting presidents, soccer is more important than them and the game will endure their administration and their leadership. It's the strength of our game, that it is more significant than one leader and beyond individual states.”

LA Games Warning

On Tuesday, Trump’s reply to a inquiry about Boston included a similar threat regarding the upcoming Summer Games.

“In case I thought LA was not going to be adequately ready, I will move it to another location if I had to,” he remarked. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to secure a varying consent, but we would do that.”

The permission Trump alluded to would have to come via the Olympic governing body. Their leader, she, was chosen to her role in this year and has yet to hold a public appearance with Trump, but she indicated that she hopes for a sit-down with the US figure at some point.

Additional Criticism

The former president also condemned the state's leader Newsom’s response of the California fires, saying that a parallel incident could cause the relocation of the Games.

“When the governor refuses to cooperate, we’re gonna have to be very tough,” he stated.

The warning was equally direct for the Massachusetts city.

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