The FIFA World Cup is less than 100 days away, and several off-field issues are popping up as we edge closer. Reports now suggest that the matches at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts are in the balance.
FIFA World Cup Matches at Risk Because of Security Funding
Foxborough, home to Gillette Stadium, is keen to host the FIFA World Cup and has been assigned seven matches this summer, including a quarterfinal clash. The small town of 18,000 residents now faces one major issue: a whopping $7.8 million bill for stadium security.
According to a report in The Athletic, a recent meeting has the town committee still searching for answers, as no financial commitment has been made. FIFA did not attend the meeting once again, instead sending the president of the Boston Soccer 2026, Mike Loynd, along with two attorneys, Peter Tamm and Gary Ronan, who set a deadline of March 17, 2026, just 86 days before the World Cup kicks off, for the final decision.
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Foxborough police chief Michael Grace spoke to the publication about the issue, saying that they were looking for answers for nearly 18 months and said, “We are 99 or 100 days away from hosting the largest sporting event in the world and can’t seem to find necessary funding for necessary equipment that’s been identified in over a year and a half of planning.”
The $7.8 million cost reportedly accounts for 10% of Foxborough’s local select board’s annual budget, and they are unwilling to commit to it without any backing. They fear that it would not be reimbursed, with Bill Yukna, the chair of the select board, saying, “I’m sympathetic to the citizens and taxpayers in the town of Foxboro. That’s what we are elected to represent. That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
Dr. Mark Elfman, a select board member, was unwilling to mince words and slammed FIFA for keeping them in the dark.
He believes that a decision should have been taken months ago and said, “I was expecting the same bull***t that that we’d gotten in the last two or three months. They didn’t give us any more information. It’s sad. It should have been done months ago.”
The Athletic reports that Boston is entitled to $46 million in funding, but Foxborough’s current allocated share does not cover the entire cost of security.
The Gillette Stadium’s first match is set for June 13, when they host Haiti vs Scotland, followed by a match every three or four days until the end of the month, including England vs Ghana on June 23 and Norway vs France on June 26.
