Trump may move World Cup venues over 'security' after visa changes | OneFootball

During a meeting at the White House with Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of requesting changes to the venues for the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The president conditioned the maintenance of matches in certain cities on the behavior of governors and mayors, especially in those districts governed by Democrats.

“Governors are going to have to behave. Mayors are going to have to behave,” Trump stated when asked what would motivate the relocation of matches to other cities. He then pointed directly to California, citing issues of crime and response to natural disasters, although he assured that “I love Los Angeles” and would be willing to send help like the National Guard if asked.

The Republican insisted that if they perceive signs of insecurity or if the state government hinders federal collaboration, he will consider alternatives. “If there is even a hint of a problem, we want to step in before the problem occurs,” he expressed, making clear his intention to act preventively. In previous weeks, he had already targeted Boston's mayor, Michelle Wu, also a Democrat, threatening to take away matches. “If we think there will be any sign of trouble, I would ask Gianni to move it to another city,” he reiterated.

In front of the FIFA president, Trump went further and asked directly: “Gianni, can I say we will move it?” Infantino, without committing, responded cautiously: “Safety is the number one priority for a successful World Cup.” The Swiss clarified that there is a joint task force between FIFA and the US Government to ensure a safe event. “Today we can see that people trust the United States… They know they will come here and experience a safe World Cup,” he assured.

Changing venues at this stage would be an unprecedented maneuver. The 11 US cities were confirmed in 2022, along with others in Mexico and Canada, and have already been investing in infrastructure and logistics for years to welcome millions of fans in 2026.

However, these statements by Trump clash with his history of deploying federal forces—such as the National Guard or ICE—in Democratic districts under the pretext of combating crime or illegal immigration. This strategy, applied in cities like Chicago, Washington, or Charlotte, generated strong criticism from the opposition.

“If they tell us now, they won’t have a problem,” Trump concluded, inviting local leaders to accept federal reinforcements from the start to avoid future conflicts during the World Cup.

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