World Cup 2026: Donald Trump threatens to cancel the matches scheduled in Boston
Less than two years before the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, the U.S. president, Donald Trump, threatened to cancel the matches scheduled in Boston, citing safety concerns and taking aim at the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu.
Donald Trump, ancien président américain @ BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP
U.S. president Donald Trump threatened to cancel the 2026 World Cup matches scheduled in Boston, citing recent “unrest” in certain parts of the city. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, located about fifty kilometers from Boston and the usual home of the New England Patriots (NFL), is set to host seven matches of the tournament that the United States is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.
Asked about Boston’s mayor, Michelle Wu, a Democrat he called “smart” but a “far-left radical,” Donald Trump said: “We could pull them. I like the people of Boston and I know the matches sell out. But your mayor is not very competent.”
This remark comes in a tense context. Earlier this month, clashes broke out during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the Boston Common, resulting in several arrests and injuring four police officers.
The U.S. president has already suggested he might declare certain cities “unsafe” to host 2026 World Cup matches and review the organizational plan approved by FIFA in 2022. That plan notably includes matches in NFL stadiums located near New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.