Donald Trump Says FIFA Chief Would ‘Very Easily’ Move World Cup Matches If He Asks

Donald Trump has stated he could persuade FIFA President Gianni Infantino to relocate 2026 World Cup matches from US cities he deems unsafe. Citing his close relationship with Infantino, Trump said this action would be taken over safety concerns. 

President Donald Trump has publicly stated that FIFA President Gianni Infantino would “very easily” agree to relocate World Cup matches from their originally scheduled host cities if Trump requested it, citing safety concerns. Trump has expressed particular worry over cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and most recently Boston, where he mentioned “street takeovers” as reasons for potential match relocations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking to reporters, 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 it to another location.’ And he would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily. He’d do it and this is the right time to do it.” He further added that he would consider a similar action regarding the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles if he felt the city was unprepared or unsafe, though that would require additional permissions.

Close Relationship Between Trump and Infantino

Trump and Infantino maintain a close relationship, having recently attended a Middle East peace summit in Egypt together. While FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani noted that FIFA independently makes decisions on event venues and that football transcends political leaders and governments, FIFA acknowledges that safety and security at events are primarily the responsibility of host governments.

FIFA has voiced confidence that all 16 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico are ready to host the tournament successfully.

IOC Supports LA Olympic Preparations

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee has reaffirmed full support for the LA 2028 Olympics, highlighting coordinated efforts between federal and local governments to ensure a smooth preparation process.