US President Donald Trump says he will move matches at the 2026 World Cup from any city he thinks is unsafe.
Eleven US cities are scheduled to host matches at next summer’s 48-team tournament, which is to be co-hosted by Canada and Mexico.
The US will host 78 of the 104 fixtures, including the final.
World governing body FIFA is in charge of organising the tournament and selecting host cities.
“It will be safe for the World Cup,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move it into a different city.”
The 11 host cities in the US are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.
Trump was asked specifically about matches in the cities of Seattle and San Francisco. Both are due to host six games.
He also mentioned Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Olympics and eight matches next year.
“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 said.
Trump has made tackling crime a central part of his agenda.
Last month, he deployed National Guard troops into Washington DC.
The draw for the group stage of the World Cup is scheduled for 5 December in Washington, and the tournament will run from 11 June to 19 July.
BBC/CI