FIFA has acknowledged that the United States government has the final say on determining the safety of World Cup host cities.
The news comes after U.S. president Donald Trump said FIFA president Gianni Infantino would “very easily” move 2026 World Cup matches away from designated host cities if Trump asked him to.
Trump also indicated he would seek to move the 2028 Olympic Games away from Los Angeles if he felt the city was not safe.
The U.S. president has previously spoken about moving World Cup matches away from what he deemed “dangerous” cities, previously naming Seattle and San Francisco.
“Safety and security are the top priorities at all FIFA events worldwide,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “Safety and security are obviously the governments’ 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 fulfil all necessary requirements.”
FIFA has said that decisions on World Cup host city safety lie with the U.S. government. Annabelle Gordon/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
On Thursday, Trump said there had been “street takeovers” in Boston and claimed FIFA would move matches for next summer’s finals if he asked.
“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’,” he told reporters in the U.S. on Tuesday.
“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.
“I could say the same thing for the Olympics. If I thought L.A. was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location.
“If I had to on that one, I’d probably have to get a different kind of a permission, but we would do that.”
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FIFA president Infantino has developed a close relationship with Trump and most recently attended a Middle East peace summit alongside him in Egypt earlier this week.
FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said “FIFA makes those decisions” when asked earlier this month about Trump’s original threat to move matches.
Montagliani told Leaders Week London: “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.”
FIFA is understood to believe there are no issues with any of the 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in response to Trump’s comments: “The Olympic Games LA28 have the full support of the President of the United States, the Governor of California and the Mayor of Los Angeles.
“All of them are being extremely helpful in the preparations for these Games. This is mirrored on the operational level of the administration. There are three years to go and we are confident that LA28 will be great Olympic Games.”
