FIFA VP pushes back on Trump comments about moving World Cup games from ‘dangerous’ cities

['News Staff', 'The Associated Press', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] CityNews Halifax 2025-10-01 00:00:00

LONDON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump was reminded Wednesday that FIFA, not any government, ultimately decides which cities will host 2026 World Cup games. Trump suggested last week he could declare cities “not safe” for the 104-game soccer tournament next summer and alter a detailed hosting plan that FIFA confirmed in 2022. Any city that “is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup,” Trump said, also referring to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, “we’ll move it around a little bit. The past four hosts of the men’s World Cup were Qatar, Russia, Brazil and South Africa. Trump has a close working relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino who is a regular visitor to the White House.