FIFA can breathe a sigh of relief after the host town of seven World Cup fixtures says the games will go ahead.
Boston Soccer 2026 has reached an agreement with the town of Foxborough and Kraft Sports + Entertainment to resolve a $7.8m security dispute just days before a licensing deadline for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“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 finalise the details needed to approve an event license at the 17 March public hearing and ensure a safe and successful FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament at Gillette Stadium this summer,” the parties said in a joint statement.
The agreement reached this week states the town will not incur any cost or financial burden for hosting the matches.
Under the arrangement, the Boston Soccer 2026 host committee will provide the upfront funding needed to cover security preparations and related public safety expenses. Additionally, Kraft Sports + Entertainment will support those payments. The company owns Gillette Stadium but leased the venue to FIFA for the tournament, meaning it is the facility operator rather than the event’s financial guarantor.
It remains unclear whether the company will ultimately be reimbursed for the funds.
Foxborough, about forty minutes from Boston, is due to host seven matches at Gillette Stadium during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though until 11 March there had been uncertainty over whether they could proceed.
The dispute centred on the town’s requirement for organisers to cover $7.8m in security costs before granting the entertainment licence needed to stage the matches at the stadium.
Details of the dispute
Foxborough officials had insisted the full amount be paid upfront, with the town’s Select Board rejecting earlier proposals that would have reimbursed the municipality after the event instead of transferring the funds in advance.
The Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, expressed frustration after one of its proposals was dismissed within hours of being announced on 7 March.
The company said it had offered to settle any security invoice within two business days of receiving it, but Select Board chair Bill Yukna rejected the proposal, describing it as an agreement with themselves that failed to meet the town’s conditions.
Local officials said Foxborough should not carry any financial risk related to hosting the World Cup. With the tournament less than 100 days away and the Select Board set to vote on the licence on 17 March, the pressure was on for all parties to find a solution.
“We look forward to moving forward together positively in our shared goals of providing the highest level of public safety for this historic event and delivering a global experience for our region, which will infuse the Commonwealth and Foxborough with an influx of new visitors and associated economic impact,” the joint statement said.
Questions remain over the World Cup
The security dispute has highlighted funding challenges surrounding what is going to be the biggest World Cup ever hosted.
The Boston Soccer 2026 host committee reportedly holds around $2m in cash but expects to receive roughly $30m from state and federal grants as well as commercial revenues. However, those funds have yet to arrive.
Massachusetts is also eligible for $46m through a federal security grant programme aimed at supporting major events such as the World Cup. But, yet again, those funds have not been distributed.
A separate controversy has also emerged internationally after Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali recently suggested the country would withdraw its men’s national team from the competition.
“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” he said on state television.
“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist.”
FIFA has not yet issued a statement on whether Iran will participate or how a replacement would be selected if the country withdraws.
If Iran were to pull out, it would mark the first withdrawal from a World Cup in 76 years. The last time this occurred was in 1950 when both France and India did not travel to Brazil because they could not afford the journey.
