Soccer fans and city officials alike are abuzz after President Donald Trump threatened to relocate several high-profile matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup from Foxborough, Massachusetts, a suburb just 30 miles outside Boston. The bold statement, delivered on October 16, 2025, has stoked controversy and confusion, sparking questions about presidential power, sporting politics, and the future of one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium is no stranger to the spotlight—it’s home to the NFL’s New England Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution. But with the world’s eyes soon to be on its pitch, the stadium is set to host seven World Cup matches: five in the group stage, one in the round of 32, and a marquee quarterfinal on July 9, 2026. Organizers expect the tournament to draw more than two million visitors to New England over its 39-day run, generating an estimated $1.1 billion in local economic impact, creating over 5,000 jobs, and bringing in more than $60 million in tax revenue.
So why the sudden talk of moving the matches? President Trump, when asked about Boston’s mayor Michelle Wu—a Democrat he called “intelligent” but “radical left”—didn’t mince words. “We could take them away,” he said of the World Cup games. “I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out. But your mayor is not good.” He doubled down on the threats the next day, suggesting that parts of Boston had been “taken over” by unrest and implying that safety concerns could warrant a change of venue.
This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted cities or high-profile events. He’s made similar threats against San Francisco and Seattle, and his administration has frequently clashed with so-called sanctuary cities over immigration enforcement. In September 2025, the Trump administration even sued Boston over its sanctuary city policies, arguing that the city’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities endangers public safety. The administration has also deployed National Guard troops to other cities, including Washington and Memphis, and attempted deployments in Chicago and Portland, sparking legal challenges and political pushback.
Despite the heated rhetoric, the power to move World Cup games doesn’t rest with the president. FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, confirmed the 16 host cities for the 104-game tournament back in 2022—including 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico, and two in Canada. These contracts are ironclad, and with less than eight months before the June 11, 2026 kickoff, any changes would be a logistical—and legal—nightmare.
FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani made the organization’s position clear earlier this month at a sports business conference in London: “It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions.” The organization reinforced this stance on October 15, 2025, stating, “Safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide,” and noting that while governments are responsible for public safety, FIFA ultimately decides on host cities. “We hope every one of our 16 Host Cities will be ready to successfully host and fulfill all necessary requirements,” the statement added.
Still, President Trump insisted, “If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni—the head of FIFA who’s phenomenal—and I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location’ and they would do that.” He claims FIFA president Gianni Infantino “wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu isn’t buying it. Speaking on a local podcast, she challenged the notion that the president could simply pull the plug on the city’s World Cup matches. “There’s no ability to take away the World Cup games,” Wu said. “There’s no real threat when it comes to saying cities are so unsafe that they can’t host the games.” She pointed out that most arrangements are “locked down by contract,” making last-minute changes virtually impossible—even for someone in the White House.
Local organizers were initially surprised by the number of high-stakes matches awarded to Foxborough. “The later in the tournament, the more eyeballs,” said Mike Loynd, head of Boston’s World Cup organizing committee. “For us, it’s just a matter of excitement. ... For us, it’s a perfect schedule. I don’t think FIFA could have done a better job.”
At the center of the action is Robert Kraft, the influential owner of the Patriots and Revolution, who operates Gillette Stadium. Kraft played a pivotal role in bringing the World Cup back to the United States as the honorary chair of the United Bid Committee. His connection to Trump is well-documented; Kraft described himself as a “social friend” of the president since the 1990s and made a “strong donation” to Trump’s inauguration in 2016. In a unique gesture, Kraft also gave Trump a diamond-encrusted Super Bowl ring following the Patriots’ 2016 NFL championship. However, Kraft noted in a 2024 interview that he hasn’t spoken to Trump since the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The political undertones of Trump’s threat are hard to ignore. Boston and Mayor Wu have been frequent targets of the administration, with criticism often centering on sanctuary city policies and law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Despite the heated exchanges, Wu remains popular, running unopposed for re-election and regularly citing Boston’s historically low crime rates. Gun violence in the city fell to its lowest level on record during her first year in office and continued to decline, though the city has recorded 27 homicides so far in 2025, surpassing the historic low of 24 in 2024.
But do these political battles really threaten the World Cup’s Boston-area matches? For now, the answer appears to be no. FIFA’s contracts and public statements suggest that the games will proceed as planned, barring a dramatic and unlikely shift in circumstances. Still, the episode highlights the complex interplay of sports, politics, and public safety in the lead-up to one of soccer’s biggest stages.
As the countdown to kickoff continues, fans, players, and organizers are focused on the excitement and opportunity the World Cup brings. While the political drama may provide plenty of headlines, all signs point to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium remaining a key venue—ready to welcome the world for a summer of unforgettable soccer.
