Trump Threatens 2026 World Cup, 2028 Olympics Over City Politics and Safety Concerns
Former President Donald Trump has once again asserted his intention to leverage pressure on FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to relocate major sporting events – the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics – based on his assessment of local leadership and safety conditions. He indicated a willingness to influence the governing bodies to move matches and events.
The remarks came during a press conference alongside Argentinian President Javier Milei, following the declaration of a $20 billion bailout for Argentina. The discussion turned to domestic concerns when a reporter questioned Trump about recent unrest in Boston, specifically a “street takeover” incident involving attacks on police and a vehicle fire, and whether this could jeopardize Boston’s hosting duties for the expanded 48-team soccer tournament.
“We could take them away,” Trump stated, referring to the World Cup games scheduled for Gillette Stadium in foxborough, Massachusetts, approximately 22 miles southwest of Boston. He further criticized Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu, labeling her “radical left” and claiming she has allowed parts of the city to fall into disarray. “That’s a pretty big statement, right?”
These “street takeovers,” characterized by large gatherings performing vehicle stunts, have become increasingly common – and occasionally violent – in American cities since the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. while these events are generally not linked to specific political ideologies,Trump used the incident to justify potential intervention.
“if someone is doing a bad job, and I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I woudl call Gianni [Infantino], the head of Fifa, who is phenomenal, and say let’s move it to another location,” Trump said on Tuesday. “And he would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it. Very easily, he’d do it.”
This assertion follows a pattern of increasingly close alignment between Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Infantino has been a frequent guest at the White House, including delivering the club world Cup trophy to Chelsea after the tournament’s final – an appearance that reportedly extended beyond its welcome – and even rescheduling FIFA’s congress to accommodate a trip with Trump to the Middle East in early 2025. Most recently, the two appeared together at a summit in Egypt concerning Gaza. Both the FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA Men’s World Cup trophies are now prominently displayed in Trump’s Oval Office.
Despite this apparent rapport, trump has not hesitated to publicly threaten the removal of World Cup games from other US host cities. On September 25th, Seattle and San Francisco were targeted, with Trump dismissing their leadership as comprised of “radical left lunatics” and questioning their safety levels.
Though, FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani swiftly rebuffed Trump’s claims, stating at a conference in London that “it’s Fifa’s tournament, Fifa’s jurisdiction, Fifa makes those decisions.” Montagliani emphasized the enduring power of the sport itself, asserting, “With all due respect to current world leaders, football is bigger than them and football will survive their regime and their government and their slogans. That’s the beauty of our game, that it is bigger than any individual and bigger than any country.”
Trump’s threats extended beyond the World Cup, encompassing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He indicated he would consider moving the Games if he deemed Los Angeles inadequately prepared,stating,”If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly,I would move it to another location if I had to.” He acknowledged that such a move would require approval from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), led by President Kirsty Coventry, who has yet to meet publicly with Trump but has expressed a willingness to do so.
Trump also criticized California governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of this year’s wildfires, suggesting a similar situation could trigger the removal of the Olympic Games. “If he doesn’t play ball, we’re gonna have to be very tough,” he warned.
His message regarding Boston was equally direct: “boston better clean up their act,” he concluded.
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