President Trump’s threatening to relocate 2026 World Cup video games. Can he truly do this?

President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he might transfer 2026 World Cup video games out of U.S. cities he deems unsafe rippled by means of soccer and political circles in late September. Then he doubled down in mid-October, repeating his assertions.

The concept, beforehand unexplored, was first raised by a reporter on the White House and entertained by Trump. It sparked a variety of reactions, many tinged with confusion, as a result of the U.S. authorities had no official position in selecting World Cup host cities; and it doesn’t have any specific authority to relocate World Cup video games.

Nonetheless, Trump’s feedback elicited responses from host metropolis mayors and World Cup organizers. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell ripped Trump’s “ignorance,” and mentioned in a statement: “We’re working every day to make the World Cup a safe, welcoming, and fun experience.”

The following is a rundown of what else has been mentioned and whether or not video games might truly be moved.

What did Trump say?

Trump didn’t proactively make the suggestion. In truth, he initially appeared to withstand it. During a press session in the Oval Office, when the reporter prefaced his query with “immigration, crime and the World Cup,” Trump interjected with a touch of humor: “That’s a lot — that’s a lot of questions.”

The reporter continued: “You have a number of cities that are pushing back against your immigration and deportation, as well as your crime initiatives.”

Trump interjected once more: “I don’t think they’re very much pushing back at all.”

The reporter went on: “But some of those cities have World Cup games. Seattle, San Francisco.”

Trump reduce him off but once more: “They’re gonna be very secure.”

But the reporter continued: “Could those games move if they don’t cooperate with your crime initiatives and your immigration initiatives?”

Trump then spoke for 2 minutes and 45 seconds. He started: “Well, that’s an interesting suggestion. I guess. But we’re gonna make sure they’re safe.”

He continued on a tangent about cities who, he mentioned, are “run by radical left lunatics that don’t know what they’re doing.” He spoke about Washington, D.C., which isn’t internet hosting World Cup video games. He spoke about Memphis and Chicago. “It will be safe for the World Cup,” he mentioned, regardless of each Memphis and Chicago additionally being uninvolved. (Chicago pulled out of the working for World Cup video games in the course of the bid part, citing “FIFA’s inflexibility” and taxpayer danger.)

“If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move it into a different city, absolutely,” Trump mentioned. “It’s actually a very fair question. If I think it’s not safe, we’re going to move it out of that city.”

He then went on one other tangent about JB Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, who has accused Trump of deploying National Guard troops to Democrat-controlled cities in an effort to exert “authoritarian” management forward of subsequent 12 months’s midterm elections.

Trump concluded: “If any city we think is gonna be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup … we won’t allow it to go to [those cities], we’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.”

When repeating his remarks in one other Oval Office media session, Trump mentioned he would name in a private favor with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“If I feel there’s 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.” Trump mentioned. “He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it very easily.”

Can Trump do this?

The World Cup is owned and operated by FIFA, soccer’s international governing physique. FIFA, years in the past, signed “host city agreements” and “stadium agreements” with entities in numerous U.S. markets, and selected 11 of them — plus three in Mexico and two in Canada — to host video games.

The federal authorities, in the meantime, signed various declarations and guarantees when the three North American international locations have been bidding to host the World Cup again in 2018, in the course of the first Trump administration. But it had no position in deciding on the cities or negotiating their contracts, which have been initially signed in 2017 and up to date with addendums in 2022.

“The federal government is not a direct party to these agreements,” Nathan O’Malley, an legal professional at Musick, Peeler & Garrett and co-leader of the agency’s Olympics & World Cup observe group, advised The Athletic.

Trump, due to this fact, can’t unilaterally cancel these contracts and transfer video games to different cities.

The contracts, a few of which have been obtained through public information requests, do require cities to implement strong safety and public security measures. If FIFA deems a metropolis unsafe, it might, doubtlessly, terminate the agreements and relocate matches. Trump, in principle, might strain FIFA to take action.

But leaders in most or all 11 cities have said their confidence within the safety plans being developed.

“Public safety officials, including our Republican-appointed Police Board, are working daily to ensure the games in Kansas City are safe for all,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas advised The Athletic in a press release through a spokeswoman. “I am confident in their work. FIFA loves Kansas City and Kansas City loves FIFA. We’ll be fine.”

What else might Trump do?

Trump has a direct line to FIFA’s president, his “great friend” Infantino, who has publicly supported and praised Trump repeatedly. In December will carry the World Cup Draw to Washington, D.C., largely in order that Trump might be concerned.

Trump, in principle, might leverage this relationship and push Infantino to drag video games out of cities whose mayors resist him, which is what he insinuated in his Oct. 14 remarks. It’s unclear how Infantino and FIFA would reply. After the preliminary suggestion, FIFA didn’t give a press release, however in responding to a question from The Athletic following Trump’s doubling-down, a FIFA spokesperson mentioned, “Safety and security are of the utmost importance at all FIFA events worldwide and it is ultimately the government’s responsibility to decide what’s in the best interest of public safety. We hope every one of our 16 host cities will be ready to fulfill all necessary requirements for a successful 2026 World Cup.”

Trump’s different potential lever is the $625 million in safety funds that Congress allotted to World Cup cities this summer season. That cash will likely be break up proportionally — not equally — among the many 11 U.S. host cities, relying on their wants. The cities will submit their prices and requests for reimbursement, according to Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup job drive. It’s unclear if Trump, who chairs the duty drive, might doubtlessly politicize and withhold a few of that funding.

(Graphic: Drew Jordan / The Athletic)

Which cities would Trump goal?

Trump has clashed with Democratic mayors all through his second time period over immigration coverage and different subjects. His newest push is on crime. After his federal takeover of D.C., he has threatened to ship troops to Chicago and different cities, at the same time as many mayors and governors say that crime just isn’t uncontrolled and federal help just isn’t crucial or welcome.

The World Cup host cities in left-leaning states with Democratic mayors that Trump might goal would come with Seattle, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Boston. Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City are additionally led by Democrats. The U.S. males’s nationwide crew is because of play its group video games in L.A. and Seattle.

Is transferring video games practical?

At this stage, eight-and-a-half months out from the World Cup opener, discovering new host cities can be unrealistic. The 11 chosen cities have already spent years getting ready for matches and adjoining occasions, plus the 1000’s of holiday makers they’ll carry. It can be extraordinarily tough for a twelfth metropolis to cram all that planning into eight months. And particularly after the Dec. 5 draw, relocation would anger followers and groups who’ve deliberate journey to a particular metropolis.

Perhaps among the 11 cities might tackle extra video games, if one or two cities have been pressured out of the rotation. But even that will be an enormous disruption. FIFA set the World Cup schedule, full with dates and places, in 2024. It has already bought hospitality packages to particular stadiums, and opened ticket gross sales earlier this month.

According to at least one particular person briefed on the planning efforts, who spoke on the situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to reveal particulars, FIFA has beforehand advised native organizers that it’s going to not be relocating video games.

Which cities are at the moment slated to host the 2026 World Cup?

The 11 U.S. cities and stadiums slated to host the 2026 World Cup are:

• Boston — Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
• New York — MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
• Philadelphia — Lincoln Financial Field
• Atlanta — Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Miami — Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
• Kansas City — Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.
• Dallas — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
• Houston — NRG Stadium
• Los Angeles — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
• San Francisco/Bay Area — Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
• Seattle — Lumen Field

In Mexico, Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City are the three hosts. The two in Canada are Toronto and Vancouver.

Seattle will host 2026 World Cup video games at Lumen Field (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle’s response to Trump

Most mayoral places of work and native World Cup host committees have declined to remark or didn’t reply to The Athletic’s inquiries. Representatives in a number of cities, nevertheless, have spoken.

Harrell’s phrases have been the strongest. Seattle’s mayor mentioned in a press release printed on his web site: “President Trump continues to display his ignorance about our city. We are doing the hard work to prepare for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to welcome the world to Seattle.

“The facts are clear: violent crime is down 20% in Seattle. We are making record-breaking progress on police hiring with nearly 130 officers hired this year. My proposed 2026 budget also makes additional investments in safety preparations for the World Cup, including new removable vehicle barriers at Pike Place Market and Seattle Center campus.

“While we are doing our part to make safety improvements ahead of hosting games, the Trump administration has made our city less safe by withholding critical funding for counterterrorism tools. While the City’s lawsuit has successfully released a portion of this funding, President Trump’s words about safety don’t align with his administration’s actions.

“We’re working every day to make the World Cup a safe, welcoming, and fun experience for both residents and visitors to our city and will continue to advance plans with local partners to ensure we make the most of this special event.”

A spokesperson for Harrell had beforehand told KOMO News: “While the president continues to peddle baseless, divisive, and empty threats, our administration is doing the hard work to prepare for this opportunity. We’re working every day to make the 2026 World Cup a safe, welcoming, and fun experience for residents and visitors. We’re advancing plans with FIFA and local partners to ensure Seattle is a destination and that we make the most of this special event.”

Hana Tadesse, a spokeswoman for the Seattle World Cup host committee, wrote in a press release to The Athletic: “We are committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming, and memorable experience for fans, players, visitors, and residents alike. Since being selected by FIFA as a host city, we’ve worked closely with them, the White House Task Force for FIFA World Cup 26, community partners, and law enforcement, and are confident in our planning and coordination in advance of next summer’s matches. Seattle looks forward to shining on the world stage and hosting an event that is not only spectacular, but safe for all.”

How produce other cities responded?

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who has previously said that “Boston will not back down” from the Trump administration amid authorized threats over immigration insurance policies, initially mentioned in response to a query about Trump’s World Cup feedback: “We are very excited for the summer that Boston will have next year. It’s going to be an incredible show of what our city’s made of as we welcome people from all over the world [for the World Cup and other events]. We are very proud, and hold ourselves to the high standards of being the safest major city in the country. And that takes work every day, but we have the record and the results to prove it.”

With Boston particularly focused in Trump’s newest risk, Wu merely mentioned, “Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions.”

Natalie Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the New York/New Jersey host committee, wrote in a press release to The Athletic: “Formal agreements are in place between each Host City and FIFA, and we continue to work closely with FIFA and our local, state, and federal partners to ensure a safe and secure tournament, which remains our top priority. Planning for World Cup is already underway, and we are fully committed to delivering an unforgettable tournament that this country, and this region, will be proud of well beyond 2026.”

Philadelphia Soccer 2026 mentioned in a press release to The Athletic: “We appreciate President Trump’s commitment to safety and security for this global event, and we share that same commitment, as do our colleagues across the nation. Safety is paramount to the City of Philadelphia, and we have every confidence in the significant planning that is ongoing between City, State, and Federal officials as well as the White House Task Force. Just as Philadelphia was for the political conventions, Papal Visit and NFL Draft, we will be ready to welcome the world and deliver a safe, exceptional experience for fans and residents alike.”

Adam Crafton, Melanie Anzidei and Felipe Cardenas contributed reporting to this story.