🔗 Share this article

Donald Trump has once again announced he would influence FIFA to pull global soccer tournament games from a designated city based on the local governance, with Massachusetts emerging as the most recent targeted location to face such statements from the US president. Moreover, Trump indicated he would contemplate comparable measures against LA for the 2028 Summer Games due to possible security concerns.

Official Power and Informal Leverage

While Trump holds no official jurisdiction to unilaterally remove either tournament, he is able to apply pressure the respective governing bodies managing each competition to change host cities.

Setting for Statements

The statements were made during a press event with Argentina's leader Milei, who was present in the executive mansion following the announcement of a $20 billion bailout for the Argentine economy. At the close of the event, a media member asked Trump about a current “street takeover” in downtown Boston where authorities were targeted and a patrol car was set on fire. The journalist also wondered if such events could lead to the removal of tournament responsibilities for the larger football competition.

“It's possible to take them away,” he said regarding the FIFA World Cup matches, scheduled to be staged at the Foxborough venue. “Their mayor is poor … she’s extremist, and activists are dominating parts of the city. That is a major claim, isn't it?”

Street Takeovers and Ideological Perceptions

Street takeovers, a digitally organized phenomenon where participants gather on public avenues after dark to engage in dangerous driving, have become a ongoing nuisance in American cities since the lockdown restrictions. Current such gatherings have turned violent in the state, specifically in Boston. Yet, these gatherings are usually not regarded as associated with any particular ideological group.

“If a city is failing, and I perceive there’s unsafe conditions, I will call the organization's president, who is phenomenal, and say let’s move it to another location,” Trump commented publicly. “He'd do that. He might not prefer the action, but he'd agree. Without hesitation, he’d do it.”

Organizational Alignment

FIFA President has made no secret his attempts to be closely connected with the former president ahead of next year’s tournament, set to be staged in numerous American venues across the US along with two in the northern neighbor and a few in the southern neighbor. The organization's leader has appeared at various White House events, facilitated Trump hand over the Club World Cup trophy after the championship match, and has even postponed his FIFA's internal meeting to join Trump on a trip to the Gulf states previously.

Earlier Warnings

Despite this, Trump from warning about the removal of soccer matches from other US host cities. On September 25, Seattle and the Bay Area metropolis faced parallel criticism, with Trump asserting both locations were “run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they are doing,” while questioning the public safety of both areas and claiming that events could be removed.

Official Rebuttal

Victor Montagliani dismissed Trump’s assertions when he commented subsequently at a conference in the UK capital.

“It’s FIFA’s tournament, under our authority, the organization determines these matters,” Montagliani said. “Politely to sitting presidents, football is transcends them and football will survive their tenure and their leadership. That is the strength of our game, that it is transcends a single person and more important than individual states.”

2028 Comments

Similarly, Trump’s reply to a query about the Massachusetts city extended to a similar threat regarding the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“When I believed the city was not sufficiently organized, I will relocate it to a different city if I had to,” he remarked. “For the Olympics I’d probably have to secure a varying consent, but we would take that action.”

Official consent Trump refers to would have to come through the Olympic governing body. Their head, the newly elected president, was selected to her role in spring and has yet to meet publicly with him, though she indicated that she desires a sit-down with him at eventually.

Other Remarks

The former president also condemned Gavin Newsom’s management of the LA wildfires, saying that a parallel incident could lead to the relocation of the Games.

“When the governor refuses to cooperate, we’re gonna have to be firm,” the former president said.

The warning was similarly unambiguous for Boston.

“The city better address these issues,” Trump stated. “That is I can say.”