FIFA pushes back on Trump comments about moving World Cup games from ‘dangerous’ cities

U.S. President Donald Trump was reminded on Wednesday (October 1, 2025) that FIFA, not any authorities, finally decides which cities will host 2026 World Cup games.

Mr. Trump urged final week he might declare cities “not safe” for the 104-game soccer match subsequent summer season and alter an in depth internet hosting plan that FIFA confirmed in 2022. It contains NFL stadiums close to New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The 11 U.S. host cities, plus three in Mexico and two in Canada, are contracted with FIFA which might face vital logistical and authorized points to make modifications within the eight months earlier than the June 11 kickoff.

“It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” the soccer physique’s vp Victor Montagliani mentioned on Wednesday at a sports activities enterprise convention in London.

The Canadian president of North American regional soccer physique CONCACAF mentioned the game is “bigger” than any present political debate.

“With all due respect to current world leaders, football is bigger than them and football will survive their regime and their government and their slogans,” Mr. Montagliani mentioned in an on-stage interview. “That’s the beauty of our game, is that it is bigger than any individual and bigger than any country.” Mr. Trump’s comments final week had been in response to a query about World Cup cities that oppose his immigration and crime crackdowns.

“If I think it’s not safe, we’re going to move it out,” the U.S. president mentioned within the Oval Office.

Any metropolis that “is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup,” Mr. Trump mentioned, additionally referring to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, “we’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.” The World Cup and Olympic Games do rely on host nation governments in any respect ranges for lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} price of commitments on safety, visa processing and regulation enforcement. The previous 4 hosts of the lads’s World Cup had been Qatar, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.

Mr. Trump has an in depth working relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino who’s an everyday customer to the White House. Infantino has not publicly commented on the difficulty of cities being judged too harmful to host games on the 48-team match that runs by July 19.