The 2026 World Cup is facing an unexpected hurdle in Massachusetts. The town of Foxborough has issued a stern warning: unless FIFA or organizers provide $8 million to cover public safety and security costs, the town will not issue the necessary licenses to host matches at Gillette Stadium.
Foxborough Town Manager Paige Duncan made the stance clear in a letter to organizers, stating that the seven scheduled matches are “at risk” without a firm funding commitment. While the U.S. federal government has allocated $625 million for security across 11 host cities, the town refuses to rely on “speculative” downstream funding.
“If nobody gives money, there’s no World Cup in Foxborough,” Duncan told ESPN. The town currently grants licenses for New England Patriots games under similar terms, but the scale of the World Cup requires guaranteed coverage for policing and emergency services. A critical town hall meeting is scheduled for February 17, with a final deadline looming on March 17.