Copyright SB Nation
So the question that has been asked repeatedly … can the Trump Administration really remove a city from hosting the World Cup? To get caught up to speed, earlier this week President Donald Trump doubled down on threats that he can and would take the World Cup away from cities deemed as “unsafe” by his Administration. Currently, the cities high on the list have been Boston and Los Angeles, the latter which is also hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics. The doubling down comes from the fact that earlier this month FIFA officials noted that neither Trump or his administration has the authority to pull the event from a city. “It’s FIFA’s tournament, FIFA’s jurisdiction, FIFA makes those decisions,” Victor Montagliani, the organization’s vice president said on Oct. 1 during a conference he spoke at in London. FIFA, which identified the 11 American cities that would host their portion of the World Cup in the summer of 2024, have built-in satellite offices in those cities handling not just the logistics, but the infrastructure that will handle everything from transportation to volunteer services to the various fan festivals scheduled to take place during the tournament. Essentially, it would disrupt years worth of planning. But it’s more than just that. There are major disruptions that could happen — should it happen, specifically after the much anticipated FIFA World Cup draw on Dec. 5. With that said, there are three T’s that come to mind on how a last minute switch could be detrimental to organizers, players and fans alike. I. Tourism. This one might be obvious but when you think about just how much that is the crux of the issue. New York, which is scheduled to host the World Cup semifinal and final is expected to see as much as a $3.3 billion (that’s billion with a “B”) windfall from the tourism, travel and lodging that supposed to take place between now and the final. In Los Angeles, a primary spot of interest, a pull of that cities scheduled eight game schedule would see an estimated $594 million return as a direct economic boost to the City of Angels. These are mere examples in the economic boom that could be lost should a city lose the right to host. II. Timing Should this occur following the draw and depending how late, federations might need to scramble their logistics, with everything from flights to hotel accommodations to equipment transport. Typically, logistics and equipment teams fly out sometimes weeks before to get the team set up, in an effort to make the trip an subsequent training ideal for the players. Having to scramble is a stressor on teams, players and federations that they’d rather not have to resolve. III. Tickets As if FIFA’s current ticketing system wasn’t maniacal enough, it would add another layer of unresolved and frantic questions surrounding the validity of a ticket elsewhere, especially when the benefit of purchasing tickets in the United States at least is that the lottery does offer a very solid opportunity to see a match in your hometown. Now imagine being a Bostonian, who just shelled out $1,000 plus to see the tournament at Gillette Stadium being told that sorry, the games purchased tickets for are now valid in say, Phoenix, Ariz., which was given the rights to seven games promised to Boston over a year ago. Or even wilder, moved to Canada, turning what was maybe a 30-minute car ride into a full-on plane trip. As wild as this may sound nothing is off the table. Perhaps the only bonus is the seemingly good relationship Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s longtime president who has toured the White House one a number of occasions since North America was awarded the tournament, seems to have lobbying power and is able to sway Trump from making any switches.
