Trump Threatens to Move World Cup Matches from 'Unsafe' US Cities

President Donald Trump has threatened to pull 2026 World Cup matches from American cities he considers unsafe, escalating his ongoing conflict with Democratic-led municipalities. Speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei, Trump said he would contact FIFA President Gianni Infantino to move games if he felt conditions were dangerous.

"If someone is doing something bad, and if I feel there are unsafe conditions, I'll call the great Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, and I'll tell him let's move to another location. And he'll do it. Maybe he doesn't like to do it, but he'll do it very easily," Trump said when asked about Boston's Democratic mayor Michelle Wu.

Trump called Wu a "radical leftist" and claimed she was harming Boston. He said if he believed the city was creating safety problems for the World Cup, he would act to relocate matches.

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The U.S. will host matches in 11 cities: Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

Trump frequently cites rising crime rates in Democratic cities, though independent analyses show violent crime has actually decreased in many of these areas. He has already deployed the National Guard to several Democratic-led cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, citing increased crime and protests against immigration raids.

Several states and cities have challenged these deployments in court, arguing they violate local sovereignty and set a dangerous precedent for domestic military pressure.

But here's the thing - it's not clear whether Trump actually has the authority to relocate World Cup matches. FIFA manages the tournament, and moving games would involve complex international agreements and logistical arrangements that were years in the making.

The threat comes as Trump continues his broader campaign against Democratic strongholds, using federal powers to pressure local governments. For the World Cup, this creates uncertainty around one of the world's biggest sporting events, which is expected to generate billions in economic activity across host cities.