Donald Trump casts doubt over 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics venues | OneFootball

Donald Trump found himself at the center of international controversy again after threatening to strip Boston of its 2026 World Cup host status if the disturbances and protests against his government do not cease.

“We could take the World Cup matches away from Boston,” declared the U.S. president during an event that also included the Argentine leader, Javier Milei.

Trump justified his stance by adding: “Their mayor, Michelle Wu, is not good. She is radical left, and they are taking over parts of Boston.”

“If someone is doing a bad job and I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni Infantino, who is phenomenal, and we would tell him to move the host location elsewhere,” expressed the American.

The warning, which quickly sparked international repercussions, was not limited to Boston, as Trump also targeted Seattle and San Francisco, two of the cities chosen as World Cup hosts, labeling their governments as “radical left lunatics”.

Simultaneously, the president referred to the situation in Los Angeles, which is the next host of the 2028 Olympic Games, asserting that he could “move the event elsewhere” if he deems there won't be adequate security conditions.

The statements come amid a wave of protests and immigration raids driven by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, under Trump's own orders.

In response, local authorities in Los Angeles are considering declaring a state of emergency due to the increase in detentions in neighborhoods with high Latino and Asian populations. The political tension has grown to the point where, according to the media outlet Politico, several city officials have expressed “concern over the direct threat to the autonomy of host cities.”

From FIFA, the response came from the entity's vice president and president of Concacaf, Victor Montagliani: “It is FIFA's tournament, under FIFA's jurisdiction, and FIFA makes those decisions.”

In a conference in London, the Canadian leader stated that “football is bigger than world leaders, it will survive their regimes, their governments, and their slogans.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.