President Donald Trump said Thursday he would consider moving 2026 World Cup games from US cities he regards as a security risk.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said while he expected the tournament to be “safe”, he was ready to strip games from host cities that were regarded as “even a little bit dangerous.”
The United States is co-hosting next year’s World Cup with Mexico and Canada, but will be hosting the bulk of the games in the tournament, which has been expanded to include 48 teams.
US host cities include staunchly Democratic strongholds such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.
“It will be safe for the World Cup,” Trump told reporters. “If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move it into a different city.”
Trump’s administration has deployed national guard troops to Democratic-run US cities this year over the objections of local and state leaders.
San Francisco and Seattle are both hosting six matches each at the tournament. Los Angeles is hosting eight.
“It’s actually a very fair question,” Trump continued. “If I think it’s not safe, we’re going to move it out of that city…,” he added, before reeling off crime statistics in Chicago, which is not among the US World Cup host cities.
Trump also appeared to reference the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics during his remarks.
“So no, if any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup, or for the Olympics … but for the World Cup in particular, because they’re playing in so many cities, we won’t allow it to go, we’ll move it around a little bit,” he added.
Trump earlier this year appointed himself as chairman of a White House task force for the World Cup, which is run by world football’s governing body FIFA.
Trump, who has a close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, has promised that fans visiting the US can expect a “seamless” experience.
Infantino has said FIFA has “full and entire” confidence in the Trump administration to help deliver a successful tournament.
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© Agence France-Presse
