Local officials in Foxboro, Massachusetts, are seriously considering kicking upcoming FIFA World Cup games out of their town. While the idea sounds ludicrous, they have good reason to ponder such a bold decision.
Many American fans feel there is no bigger sporting event in the world than the Super Bowl. However, it’s because they don’t realize the international interest in soccer (or futbol) and the national pride that comes into play every four years for the World Cup.
It is one of the few true global events, and there is no better proof of its popularity than the fact that nearly 1.5 billion people tuned into the 2022 final between Argentina and France. It is the Super Bowl on steroids, and it is so big that the massive tournament is being spread across North America in June.
One of the locations that will house seven games this year is the Foxboro, MA home of the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium. Getting World Cup games is a huge win for the local economy. However, it is also a very costly undertaking.
That is why the Foxboro Select Board requested $7.7 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover the public safety costs when 450,000 people are expected to hit the city in a few months. However, they have not gotten those funds yet and have set a March 17 deadline to get them, or else.
Lack of funding could force Foxboro to kick World Cup games out of town
“The grant application that we had applied for—about $7.7 million—may not likely be fully funded,” Select Board Chair Bill Yukna said during a board meeting this week. “However, the town is going to stand behind the request of the $7.7 million for both the manpower and some capital in expense items, and if they aren’t met, the licenses won’t be granted.”
What he is referring to are entertainment licenses that the board must approve for the Boston Host Committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026 to manage and plan for the seven World Cup games in June. So, if the Foxboro Select Board does not get the funds they need to adequately host the games, it won’t approve the licenses to have matches at Gillette Stadium.
That would put FIFA in and the organizers of games in the United States in a very tough position to find another stadium suitable to hold such huge games on very short notice.
