FIFA: US has final say where World Cup plays after Trump safety comments

The organizers of the 2026 World Cup have reversed course and are now conceding that

the U.S. government has the authority to move matches for safety and security reasons before

next summer's tournament. FIFA's statement comes in response to the latest warning from

President Donald Trump, this time involving Boston. Trump has previously talked about moving

World Cup matches away from what he called dangerous cities, using Seattle and San Francisco

as examples. He was asked on Tuesday about recent protests in Boston and reiterated his point

about moving matches, saying he would just make a call to FIFA president Gianni Infantino

If somebody is doing a bad job and 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. 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. FIFA responded to multiple media outlets with a statement that read

Safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide

Safety and security are obviously the government's 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 That statement contradicts earlier comments from FIFA Vice President Victor Montaliani who said in September that FIFA makes those decisions

Boston is currently set to host seven World Cup matches next summer

Mayor Michelle Wu responded to Trump's remarks on the Java with Jimmy podcast on Wednesday

saying the city is ready to welcome fans from around the world and preparations for the tournament

have been ongoing for years. Much of it is locked down by contract so that no single person

even if they live in the White House currently, can undo it. But we're in a world where for drama

for control, for pushing the boundaries, for just ongoing threats that are issued to

individuals and communities who refuse to back down. There's been no mention of how FIFA would

move any of the 78 matches that will be held in the U.S. or if any backup sites have been chosen

FIFA said there's no reason to believe there are any issues with the 16 host cities across the U.S.

Canada and Mexico. More than one million tickets have been sold for the World Cup

FIFA announced on Thursday. It's the first update on ticket numbers since the official

start of sales began in early October. FIFA said people from 212 different countries and territories

have bought tickets so far. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis