Boston's World Cup matches in jeopardy as rows continue over $8 million security funding

Martin Macdonald

• 18 Feb 2026 08:01 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

World Cup matches taking place in Boston this summer are in jeopardy as the town of Foxborough has yet to grant FIFA an entertainment license to hold tournament fixtures.

The 2026 World Cup will take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico and the Gillette Stadium, in the town of Foxborough situated in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, is due to host seven fixtures.

Five matches in the group stage and two in the knockout stage are scheduled.

At the moment, Foxborough is the only World Cup location yet to issue an entertainment license to FIFA to hold the matches as a row has erupted over who will pay for security for those seven aforementioned fixtures.

Foxborough has determined that around $7.7 million will be required to cover security and infrastructure costs to host the matches - and they are refusing to pay it themselves.

Donald Trump has committed $625m in funding to help host cities with those costs, but crucially, the money will be reimbursed and not given up front, while an application needs to be made by the host city or town to claim the cash back.

Foxborough want the money up front.

A meeting took place on Tuesday evening as Mike Loynd, president of the Boston 2026 host committee, was grilled by board members about the state of play regarding Foxborough's hosting duties.

"I gotta be honest with you, it baffles my mind that you guys are sitting here in front of me right now and how we still have no idea where this money's coming from," board member Mark Elfman said.

Board chair Bill Yukna asked Loynd, "Is FIFA, who is going to be the licensee, are they in the end responsible if nothing else comes through on this?"

"That's sort of a broad question," Loynd replied.

"It's really not," Elfman said.

Nothing was solved from the town meeting and Foxborough town manager Paige Duncan previously told ESPN that a decision on funding had to be made by the middle of March.

If the funding doesn't come through, there's a very real possibility that these World Cup fixtures may be moved.

It was initially thought that the Kraft Group, headed by Patriots owner Robert Kraft who owns Gillette Stadium, would cover these costs but the Group believes it is the responsibility of FIFA to do so.

One solution would be for the Kraft Group to pay the $8m and then apply for reimbursement from the United States government.

Trump versus Boston

President Trump previously suggested that he could 'move' games if any of the host cities are deemed 'unsafe' amid continuous political tension in the country.

The cities that are being threatened with this action are ones under Democratic control. Trump is a Republican.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office in October, Trump said: "It will be safe for the World Cup. If I think it isn't safe, we'll move it into a different city."

Trump has waged war on the democratic cities that have refused to comply with his Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

If a World Cup venue was to be moved at this stage, it would be a logistical nightmare and cost fans further money, especially if they have already booked travel and accommodation.

Trump warned Boston mayor Michelle Wu that he could call on FIFA to take away its World Cup games. “We can take them away. I love the people of Boston and I know the games are sold out but the mayor is not good … she’s intelligent, but she’s radical left,” he threatened.

“If somebody’s doing a bad job and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni [Infantino], the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location,’ and he would do that.”

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