FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The fate of world cup Games scheduled to be held in Massachusetts this summer are no longer scheduled.
For weeks, the city of Foxboro, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots and the site of Gillette Stadium, which is scheduled to host seven World Cup tournament games in June and July, had been withholding the entertainment license needed by FIFA to host the games.
At issue was the $7.8 million the town had yet to receive for game security and related materials. Officials told attorneys representing the Boston Soccer 2026 Organizing Committee during a hearing last week that unless funding was in place, no licenses would be issued by the March 17 deadline.
but, joint statement The city, Boston Soccer 2026 and Gillette Stadium owner Kraft Sports and Entertainment said in a statement issued late Wednesday night that they were “united” in approving the license at a public hearing next week to “ensure the safe and successful 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament at Gillette Stadium.”
In a statement, the organizing committee said the cash would be advanced and Craft Sports and Entertainment would guarantee the funding.
“As part of this arrangement, the City of Foxboro will not incur any costs or financial burdens associated with the FIFA World Cup, and Boston Soccer 2026 will pre-fund the full range of security-related capital expenditures and deployments deemed necessary by public safety officials to conduct the event with support from Craft Sports + Entertainment,” the statement said.
Foxboro city officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
The money was originally scheduled to be issued from federal funds allocated as part of President Donald Trump’s “policy.” A big and beautiful building A bill passed last year set aside $46 million for the state of Massachusetts for World Cup security. That money was scheduled to be issued through the Department of Homeland Security in January, but so far has not arrived.
___
Associated Press writer Mike Casey contributed.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
