'Catastrophic' World Cup security concerns arise as government funding frozen

Martin Macdonald

• 25 Feb 2026 11:01 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

There are new security concerns in the United States regarding the 2026 World Cup after funding for host cities was frozen due to a partial government shutdown.

The World Cup will take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer. Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle are the US host cities.

In order to deal with hosting World Cup matches, host cities were promised hundreds of millions of dollars worth of funding for planning, infrastructure, security and event management.

A $900 million kitty was promised to the host cities but that has yet to be received, which is raising major concerns, particularly over security.

Ray Martinez, chief operating officer of the Miami World Cup Host Committee, insists that events will have to be cancelled if funding is not received.

"We have to start making some really tough decisions and it starts with our fan festival," he said.

"Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and co-ordination.

"The matches up at the stadium will take place, but preparing for all the impromptu events and watch parties that we are expecting to see will be in jeopardy."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched a grant programme in November

to allow host cities to "carry out the extensive security activities required to protect players, staff, attendees, venues and critical infrastructure across the host cities, strengthening them against potential terrorist attacks".

The news of the overall funding freeze comes as officials in Foxborough, Boston are refusing to give FIFA an entertainment license to hold matches at the Gillette Stadium until they receive funding.

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 seven tournament 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.

Government shutdown

There is currently a partial government shutdown in the United States after Democrats refused to provide more Homeland Security funding. Homeland Security is the department that deals with immigration enforcement and there is major scrutiny on them at the moment following the ICE shootings of two American citizens in Minnesota in January.

This is the second shutdown in the past year, following one in November of 2025 which left thousands of federal workers without pay.

"We need to rein in ICE and end the violence," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

"That means ending roving patrols. It means requiring rules, oversight, and judicial warrants... Masks need to come off, cameras need to stay on, and officers need visible identification. No secret police."

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