FIFA confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. government will have the final say on safety matters regarding the 2026 World Cup host cities, following President Donald Trump’s comments about possibly shifting matches away from certain venues, ESPN reports.
Trump, speaking earlier this week, said FIFA president Gianni Infantino would “very easily” move World Cup matches from designated host cities if asked. His remarks came after violent incidents in South Boston, prompting him to criticize the city’s conditions and hint at removing games from Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium if officials “don’t clean up their act.”
🚨🗣️ Donald Trump on moving World Cup games from US cities he feels are unsafe:
“If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who's phenomenal, and I would say: ‘let's move it to another location'.”
“And he… pic.twitter.com/WOEH4niv2X
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 15, 2025
“Safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement to Field Level Media. “Safety and security are obviously the governments’ responsibility, and they decide what is in the best interest for public safety. We hope every one of our 16 host cities will be ready to successfully host and fulfill all necessary requirements.”
Trump also mentioned Seattle and San Francisco as other cities he considered “dangerous,” raising concerns that political intervention could influence venue selection just eight months before the tournament. FIFA, however, declined to comment on any specific cities or stadiums mentioned by the president.
The politics of the pitch
The 2026 World Cup will mark the first tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with the U.S. staging 78 of the 104 total matches. The event’s planning process has already drawn scrutiny due to political rhetoric surrounding host city readiness and safety standards.
Infantino, who maintains a friendly relationship with Trump, was recently seen alongside the president during a press conference in Egypt announcing an accord between Israel and Gaza. When asked about the possibility of relocating games, Trump said, “If somebody is doing a bad job, and if I feel there are unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni — the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal — and I would say, ‘Let’s move into another location,’ and they would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it. But he would do it very easily.”
Still, FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani recently reminded observers that football decisions rest with the federation itself. “With all due respect to current world leaders,” Montagliani said, “football is bigger than them and football will survive their regime and their government and their slogans.”
The 2026 tournament is set to kick off on June 11 and run through July 19, with billions expected to watch worldwide. Yet with politics now brushing up against the world’s biggest sporting stage, questions remain about how much influence the Oval Office can truly have over FIFA’s final calls.
