FIFA has changed its earlier position and now says U.S. President Donald Trump can influence where World Cup games are held.
This comes after Trump again said he might move matches away from some American cities.
FIFA had earlier said Trump had no authority to make such changes. But on Tuesday, the football body released a new statement after Trump said he could move games from Boston if he felt conditions were unsafe.
“If someone is doing a bad job or the area is unsafe, I’d call Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, and tell him to move the game. He’d do it,” Trump said.
FIFA responded by saying safety and security are top priorities and that governments are responsible for protecting people.
“We trust governments to decide what is best for public safety,” FIFA’s statement read. “We hope all host cities will be ready to meet our requirements.”
The U.S. will host most of the 2026 World Cup matches in 11 cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco Bay Area. Mexico and Canada will also host games in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Last month, Trump said he might block cities like Seattle and San Francisco from hosting matches if he thought they were unsafe. “If any city is dangerous, we won’t allow it to host the World Cup or Olympics,” he said.
Earlier, FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani dismissed Trump’s claim, saying, “It’s FIFA’s tournament, and we make the decisions. Football is bigger than any government or leader.”
However, FIFA now appears to be siding with Trump. Recently, Infantino was invited to Trump’s Gaza peace talks and promised to help rebuild football facilities there.
FIFA also opened a new office in Trump Tower, and Trump has displayed the Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office several times.
Host city agreements, such as Seattle’s, include clauses allowing FIFA to remove hosting rights if cities fail to meet safety and transport requirements. Similar conditions likely exist in other cities’ agreements.