FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The FIFA World Cup games are getting closer, but there’s growing concern over who will be fronting the cost to keep the event safe.
In a meeting Tuesday night, Foxborough Select Board Chair Bill Yukna made clear that it will not be coming out of Foxborough’s pocket.
“This event is not Foxborough’s event; this is an international event and it’s not up to the town of Foxborough to support or pay for any of this,” Yukna said. “As our chiefs are the ones responsible for the security and safety of the facilities, their needs need to be met, or this is an event that cannot move forward.”
During the meeting, Yukna said if the town’s requests aren’t met, including the $7.7M in funding, they won’t be granting the license needed for the event to move forward.
Boston25 caught up with Yukna on Thursday who said the funding is all or nothing.
“They either fund the whole process for us or we’re unable to move forward,” Yukna said.
With the games just four months away, the clock is ticking.
“It doesn’t seem like the funding organization has really been put together here that has been done around other parts of the country,” Yukna said.
Boston 26, the local group organizing the event, said they are working closely with FIFA, the stadium, and the town of Foxborough to reach an agreement.
The main source of security funding for the event is the FIFA World Cup Grant Program, administered through FEMA. A total of $625M in funding is available to the 11 host cities, and Massachusetts is eligible for about $46M of that.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for the region, I think it’s a great opportunity for the United States to be able to host these things but again, there’s costs involved with it, and unfortunately, those need to be addressed first,” Yukna said.
Boston25 did reach out to the Kraft organization, which manages the stadium, but so far, we’ve yet to hear back.
Foxborough Town Manager Paige Duncan provided the following statement:
<i>“The Town of Foxborough continues to work collaboratively with FIFA, Boston Soccer, Kraft Sports and Entertainment, the Commonwealth, and our public safety partners to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosting World Cup matches presents an exciting opportunity for the region.</i>
<i>At the same time, hosting an event of this scale creates significant public safety, operational, and infrastructure demands on the host community. Our police, fire, emergency communications, public works, and municipal staff will be responsible for ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of visitors while also maintaining essential services for our residents and businesses.</i>
<i>The Town has spent many months working with event organizers and public safety professionals to carefully identify the resources required to safely host these matches. Those planning efforts have made clear that the associated municipal costs are substantial.</i>
<i>Foxborough supports the World Cup and wants to be a successful host community. However, the taxpayers of Foxborough cannot and will not be responsible for funding an international sporting event. We believe it is reasonable and appropriate that FIFA and/or event partners provide the funding necessary to support the public safety and operational requirements that come with hosting these matches.</i>
<i>Our goal is to ensure that the event is safe, well managed, and successful for visitors, the region, and most importantly, the residents and businesses of Foxborough. We remain committed to working in good faith with all partners and hope that agreements can be reached that allow the matches to proceed while protecting our community from unfunded financial risk.</i>
<i>Members of the public are encouraged to watch Foxborough Select Board meetings live or on demand at </i><a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/@FCA-TV__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!Z_T_5Jxh2Bj6xk1hdPBj4BcgZpWebv-JFf9AvfiIC0Og6QIjf5Z3r4VWZ5B_hqFHD-zvzk_gk9bQ0WdtsQ8qm5uyp80$" rel="" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/@FCA-TV__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!Z_T_5Jxh2Bj6xk1hdPBj4BcgZpWebv-JFf9AvfiIC0Og6QIjf5Z3r4VWZ5B_hqFHD-zvzk_gk9bQ0WdtsQ8qm5uyp80$"><i>https://www.youtube.com/@FCA-TV</i></a><i>. The February 3 meeting includes the latest information on the World Cup, and additional updates are expected at upcoming meetings scheduled for February 17, March 3, and March 17."</i>
— Paige Duncan, Foxborough, Massachusetts Town Manager
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