Donald Trump considers moving 2026 World Cup games away from ‘dangerous’ cities
The US is co-hosting next summer’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
United States President Donald Trump has warned he will move 2026 World Cup matches away from host cities he deems to be “dangerous”.
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Trump said he was going to make sure San Francisco and Seattle were “safe”, adding that the cities were “run by radical left lunatics who don’t know what they’re doing”.
Seattle’s Lumen Field is set to host six matches at next summer’s finals, with Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara – an hour away from San Francisco – due to host a further six.
Trump again threatened to send federal troops into Chicago, having already done so in Los Angeles and Washington DC.
He pledged that Chicago would be made “safe” for the World Cup but the city is not hosting games.
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He added: “If any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup…because they’re playing in so many cities, we won’t allow it.
“We’ll move it around a little bit. But I hope that’s not going to happen.”
The draw for the finals – which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico – takes place in Washington DC on December 5.
The comments come as Israel faces a potential ban from the competition, with UEFA set to hold a meeting next week.
Israel, which has been a full member of UEFA since 1994, has faced growing international criticism over its attacks on Gaza.
Jibril Rajoub, the president of the Palestinian Football Association which has long called for Israel’s suspension, said he would be meeting with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin next week, along with Kirsty Coventry, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Any move by UEFA to suspend Israel may prove a difficult one politically for FIFA, whose president Gianni Infantino has a close relationship with President Trump.
A spokesman for the US state department told Sky News on Thursday: “We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.”
