FIFA acknowledges that the final authority on security determinations rests with the United States government. world cup host city.
The news comes after US President Donald Trump said he would “very easily” move 2026 World Cup matches away from designated host cities if FIFA President Gianni Infantino asked.
Trump also indicated that he would try to pursue this 2028 olympic games He would move away from Los Angeles if he felt the city was not safe.
The US President had earlier talked about moving World Cup matches away from “dangerous” cities, naming Seattle and San Francisco.
A FIFA spokesperson said, “Safety and security are the top priority at all FIFA events around the world.” “Safety and security are clearly the responsibility of governments and they decide what is in the best interests of public safety.
“We are hopeful that each one of our 16 host cities will be prepared to host successfully and meet all necessary requirements.”
On Thursday, Trump said there was an “occupation of the streets” in Boston and claimed FIFA would move the matches for next summer’s finals if he asked.
“If someone is doing a bad job, and if I think there are unsafe conditions, I will call Gianni, the head of FIFA, which is unprecedented, and I will say, ‘Let’s move it to another location’,” he told reporters in the US on Tuesday.
“And he will do it. He won’t like to do it, but he will do it very easily.
“He will do that and this is the right time to do that.
“I can say the same thing for the Olympics. If I thought L.A. wouldn’t be properly prepared, I would move it to another location.
“If I had to work on that, I’d probably have to get a different kind of permission, but we’ll do it.”
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FIFA president Infantino has developed a close relationship with Trump and recently attended the Middle East peace summit with him in Egypt earlier this week.
“FIFA makes those decisions,” FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said earlier this month when asked about Trump’s original threat to move matches.
Montagliani told Leaders Week London: “With all due respect to the current world leaders, football is bigger than them and football will survive their regimes and their governments and their slogans.”
FIFA is understood to believe there is no problem with any of the 16 host cities in the US, Canada and Mexico.
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in response to Trump’s comments: “The Olympic Games LA28 has the full support of the President United States of AmericaGovernor of California and Mayor of Los Angeles.
“They have all been extremely helpful in the preparations for these Games. This is reflected at the operational level of the administration. There are still three years to go and we are confident that the LA28 will be a great Olympic Games.”
