U.S. President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the organization of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, threatening to relocate matches from cities he described as being run by “far-left extremists” and deemed unsafe.
The 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, may see some of its planned matches moved to other host cities.
“These cities are run by far-left extremists who don’t know what they’re doing. We will ensure that these matches are held safely. If we believe that any city could be even slightly unsafe for the World Cup, we will move the games elsewhere,” Trump said at the White House, responding to questions about fixtures planned in Seattle and San Francisco.
“The World Cup will be safe. If I don’t think it’s safe, we’ll move the matches to other cities. But I hope that won’t be necessary,” he added.
Trump also pointed out that “if we think a city could be unsafe for the World Cup or the Olympics (in Los Angeles in 2028), particularly the World Cup since it spans so many cities, we will not allow the games to be held there; we will relocate them.”
His warning specifically targeted Chicago, another World Cup host city, which has struggled with high crime rates.
“Now we have a great Washington DC, as you know, but we will also go to Memphis and other cities. And very soon we will go to Chicago to make the World Cup safe,” the U.S. President concluded.
