FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Kraft Sports and Entertainment Group will help cover the town of Foxborough’s “security-related costs.”
A spokesperson for Gillette Stadium released the following statement on Thursday night.
<i>“Five years ago, when FIFA was soliciting cities and stadiums for the World Cup, we asked state officials if they would like to use our privately funded stadium for a Boston/Massachusetts bid. We were excited to do this on behalf of our state and our region. Providing a stadium for the World Cup means shutting it down from all external business for two months and we were happy to do it, as we are proud to showcase our home state. Unlike games and concerts, World Cup matches are not revenue generating events for the stadium, but they do generate a significant amount of tourism and visibility for the state. Throughout this process, Gillette Stadium has met with Town of Foxborough representatives to address Foxborough’s operational concerns and is committed to financially ensuring the Town’s needs are met for security related costs for the World Cup, both by financially supporting the anticipated funds Boston Soccer 2026 expects to award Foxborough through the federal FIFA World Cup Grant program and by providing financial and logistical support for additional capital expenditures. We are committed to working with our partners at the local, state, and federal level to ensure a safe and secure event and ask for shared cooperation from all parties as the tournament proceeds.”</i>
— Gillette Stadium spokesperson
This comes after the Foxborough Board of Selectmen on Wednesday went into executive session and discussed who is going to pay for World Cup security at Gillette Stadium this summer.
The security bill is slated to cost nearly $8 million, and the Select Board said it was not going to front the money and be reimbursed later.
In a commitment letter, Kraft Sports and Entertainment Group penned that funding will “shall not exceed $1,512,490.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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