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≡ FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 ≡
An agreement for $7.8 million in security funding for the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts related to the FIFA World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium was reached on Thursday. A joint statement by the town, the Boston Soccer 2026 host committee and Kraft Sports + Entertainment included:
“Kraft Sports + Entertainment, Boston Soccer 2026, and the Town of Foxborough have reached an understanding collectively that will allow Boston Soccer 2026 and the Town of Foxborough to finalize the details needed to approve an event license at the March 17 public hearing and ensure a safe and successful FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament at Gillette Stadium this summer.
“As part of this arrangement, the Town of Foxborough will not incur any cost or financial burden related to the FIFA World Cup, with Boston Soccer 2026 providing advance funding for security-related capital expenditures and the full extent of deployment that public safety officials have determined is needed to execute the event with Kraft Sports + Entertainment’s backing.”
The town was clear that it would not fund the security requirements, nor would it advance the costs and receive reimbursement. Seven matches are scheduled for the stadium, beginning on 13 June.
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U.S. President Donald Trump wrote Thursday morning on Truth Social:
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
Trump had said earlier that Iran is “welcome” to come, but took a harder line on Thursday. The Iranian sports minister said this week that “definitely it’s not possible for us to take part in the World Cup.”
The Iranian team is scheduled to face New Zealand in Inglewood, California on 15 June, Belgium in Inglewood on 21 June and Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
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California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-California) and 68 other members of Congress sent a letter to FIFA asking for a reduction in the cost of tickets for the FIFA World Cup, including:
“Both American fans and international visitors should have access to tickets at affordable prices. The extreme high demand for World Cup tickets should not be a green light for price gouging at the expense of the people who make the World Cup the most-watched sporting event in the world.
“When the tri-nation model for the 2026 World Cup was announced and confirmed in 2018, FIFA emphasized an inclusive tournament experience, including the availability of hundreds of thousands of low-cost tickets, some projected at approximately $21, to allow fans to follow their teams across all host cities in North America.
“That vision of an accessible, global celebration, welcoming 48 national teams and their supporters from every corner of the world, has been undermined by a dynamic priced ticketing model that is financially exclusionary and stands in stark contrast to the vision presented. This pricing structure has made tickets for all stages of FWC games unaffordable for many fans who have already confirmed travel for this monumental international sporting event.”
The letter further complains that FIFA is not paying anything to help host cities fund the required fan festivals, and that “local governments have had to garner additional funding of up to $150 million per city for infrastructure improvements, transportation, and security preparations.”
It closes with questions to FIFA, asking for remaining tickets to be priced affordably, to commit to static pricing in the future and, for future tournaments, either pay for fan festivals or allow sponsorship categories for local community to sell to underwrite the costs.
No deadline for a reply was included. FIFA has said it has more than 500 million requests for the 6-7 million tickets that will be available for the World Cup, beginning on 11 June.
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