Just over three months from today, on June 13, the Boston metropolitan area will host the first of seven 2026 World Cup matches, a group stage match between Scotland and Haiti. Even with kickoff so imminent, local officials face unanswerable logistical and funding challenges. No city should have to deal with such a large-scale event as it approaches. The case of Boston and Foxboro is not unique, but it is extreme and provides a useful window into the chaotic planning of the 2026 World Cup.
The issue first surfaced last week following a meeting of the Foxborough Select Board, the council representing the city where the game will be held. At the heart of the problem is the missing $7.8 million needed to maintain security and the city’s withholding of permits to host games for that money. Foxborough heard a motion from lawyers representing the Boston 2026 host committee, Boston Soccer 26, to cover those costs in return for a promise that the costs would be reimbursed by the host committee at a later date. Lawyers for the commission also said Kraft Sports Group, which owns the stadium that will host Boston’s World Cup matches, would help with additional costs. But Foxborough officials were not satisfied. They wanted to fix the problem now, without incurring costs or waiting forever for it to be fixed. Local police and firefighters were annoyed that the procurement deadline was June 1, less than two weeks before the first game, and they said it was too late.
“We don’t wait until a week before because we can’t fix the problem and force the board and public safety to cancel the event,” Foxboro PD Chief Michael Grace said. boston globe. “We are 99 to 100 days away from hosting the world’s largest sporting event. We can’t seem to determine or find the funding needed for the essential equipment identified through more than a year and a half of planning by 14 working groups across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The solution is very simple: raise the necessary funds and this problem will end tomorrow.”
Two days after the meeting, Board of Selectmen Chairman Bill Yukna issued a stern statement characterizing Boston Soccer 26’s offer as “essentially an agreement with them.” Boston Soccer 26 said in a response letter that it only has $2 million in funding but is on the verge of securing “at least an additional $30 million through state and federal funding and commercial activities.” The committee also issued a statement and said, “We are very disappointed that the city seems to have made a unilateral decision without a public hearing.” They noted that a public hearing on the issue is scheduled for March 17.
long tuesday boston globe The story’s headline warns that “Boston’s bold dream of hosting the World Cup is faltering,” which seems a bit exaggerated. This is more annoying than surprising. It’s highly unlikely that Boston’s hosting rights will be at risk. If Boston and Foxboro are running out of time to put together plans for a seamless World Cup experience, time is too short to tackle the bigger task of finding new hosts for seven games. Money currently in limbo is not a serious or existential amount for either party involved. A more accurate description would be Boston’s bold dream of hosting seven World Cups. No logistical nightmares We are on shaky ground.
that earth Boston Soccer 26 said a few years ago that it would need $170 million to host the event, which is significantly more than its current funding. Of the existing funds of $2 million and the expected $30 million in the future, earth Write:
This is only a fraction of what organizers envisioned two years ago, raising concerns about what the World Cup, which opens on June 13, will actually look like. Concerns range from logistics to optics. Will it be secure enough? Will fans have trouble traveling from Boston to all the way to Foxborough? And what if the event, meant to be a showcase for the commonwealth with its extravagant parties and festivities, turns out to be much quieter and more pedestrian?
The money here comes from private donors and the federal government. In the former case, FIFA, the World Cup governing body, has already signed large contracts with large corporations that limit opportunities for domestic companies, making it much more difficult for local governments to attract sponsors. Additionally, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and founder, chairman, and CEO of the Kraft Group, is so wealthy that many wonder whether they should “contribute to events organized by Kraft, who according to the Boston business community is expected to provide a bailout if funds run out.” earth “And add to the ‘donor fatigue’: Boston is already hosting a series of lavish celebrations this summer to mark America’s 250th anniversary, all seeking corporate funding,” he added.
Regarding the latter: The Federal Reserve has not disclosed any of the $625 million allocated to the 11 U.S. World Cup host cities in a bill passed by Congress last July. The government is currently shut down, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for disbursing the funds. “With only roughly three months left, these cities are still reporting that they have not received the funds,” U.S. Representative Nellie Pou, whose New Jersey district includes the stadium where the World Cup finals will be held, said in a statement. “This is completely unacceptable as kick-off approaches. If DHS is to play a role in this tournament, it must be transparent, coordinated and timely. The World Cup is a global stage. We must act as if we are prepared. Time is running out.”
These kinds of logistical and funding issues will be familiar to anyone who knows anything about FIFA. But a global event like the 2026 World Cup in the United States means dealing with the political challenges that come with it. This particular problem will probably be resolved and no one will be satisfied. This is the Donald Trump World Cup, with all the stupidity that entails.
