Back in 2018, when FIFA awarded the hosting rights to the 2026 World Cup to Canada, Mexico and the United States, the positives seemed unmatched. The appetite for the sport in all three countries is vast. The underlying infrastructure in terms of transportation, stadiums and training sites is impressive. The event looked poised to rain money on FIFA, with 5 million fans expected to attend and further grow the sport in the three host nations.
But a combination of circumstances have conspired to put U.S. host cities in a difficult position ahead of the World Cup, before a ball is even kicked. In July, Congress passed legislation that awarded $625 million in funding to the 11 U.S. host cities to pay for items such as security and FIFA fan fests that have been part of the tournament since 2006. With fewer than 100 days until the tournament starts, the money hasn’t arrived, and the host cities are starting to worry.
What’s the holdup?
The U.S. government is, at present, partially shut down, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently unfunded due to demands by Democratic lawmakers that new limits be placed on federal immigration operations after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January. Among the governmental entities affected is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which operates under DHS. FEMA is responsible for disbursing the funds but has yet to do so. While some federal workers are continuing to work during the shutdown, those who process the grant funding don’t fall into that category.
Now the lack of disbursements is the subject of political finger-pointing.
In a hearing before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Feb. 24, U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey — whose district includes MetLife Stadium, where the World Cup final will be held — said, “Congress has appropriated $625 million for the 11 cities hosting World Cup matches, including my district. With only roughly four months to go, these cities still report they have not received this funding. This is completely unacceptable this close to kickoff. If DHS is going to play a role in this tournament, then DHS needs to be transparent, coordinated and timely. The World Cup is a global stage. We need to act like we are ready for it. We’re running out of time.”
– Will Iran play at the World Cup? What happens if they don’t?- World Cup host cities warn Congress over security concerns- Boston 2026 says Kraft Group backing World Cup funding
That drew a response from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said in a post on X that “FEMA was in the final stages of reviewing applications to ensure proper oversight when Democrats shut down the government putting significant portions of the FEMA staff on administrative leave. No funds have been awarded yet under the FIFA World Cup grant program. The longer DHS goes without funding, the less prepared our nation will be for threats at the FIFA World Cup and America 250.”
Later, Pou responded with her own post on X telling Noem that DHS’s “own notice of funding opportunity of this grant program” anticipated the award date to be no later than Jan. 30, 2026. The DHS shutdown began Feb. 14.
“It’s time for DHS to do its job,” Pou said in her post.
Feeling the pinch
At the Feb. 24 House committee meeting, those connected with host cities or providing security for them sounded the alarm that time is running out.
Ray Martinez, the chief operating officer for the Miami World Cup host committee, gave a “drop-dead date” of the end of March to receive roughly $70 million in funds. If the money isn’t received by then, plans surrounding the World Cup would begin to be canceled.
All of ESPN. All in one place.
Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
“We’re 107 days out from the tournament but, more importantly, we’re about 70-something days out from starting to build the fan fest. These decisions have to be made,” Martinez said. “… Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and coordination.”
Joseph Mabin, the deputy chief of the Kansas City (Missouri) police, said the funding is critical for hiring the additional personnel needed to provide security for not only six games, but also the four base camps teams are using in the Kansas City area.
The town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a population of about 18,000, has also expressed concerns about the lack of funding. Gillette Stadium calls the municipality home, and the town is responsible for issuing licenses for events held at the venue.
At a meeting of the town’s select board on Feb. 17, leaders expressed concern about the roughly $8 million in funding that will be needed. Neither Mike Loynd, president of the Boston 2026 host committee, nor Kevin Clark, director of venue operations for FIFA 26, could provide the select board with any information on the source of security funds.
“I gotta be honest with you, it baffles my mind that you guys are sitting here in front of me right now and how we still have no idea where this money’s coming from,” board member Mark Elfman said.
But at a town meeting on Tuesday, Boston World Cup organizers told the town’s select board they would pay the $8 million, saying they had a guarantee from the Kraft Group to fund any shortfall. Gary Ronan, an attorney representing the Boston host committee, added that the committee would pay any costs within two business days of being invoiced.
“If you don’t get paid, you can terminate the license,” Ronan said. “The next soccer game doesn’t happen.”
However, the two sides expressed disagreements over a deadline for the delivery of security materials, among other issues. The board is scheduled to vote on granting FIFA a license to use the stadium for the World Cup at its next meeting on March 17.
The federal government did announce $100 million of funding Tuesday for host cities to prepare their public transportation systems. But these funds are being distributed by the Federal Transit Administration and not affected by the DHS shutdown.
FIFA’s approach has been hands-off. Despite the fact that this is FIFA’s tournament, sources within FIFA view the funding issue as one to be sorted out between the federal government and the organizations representing the host cities.
With little reason to expect FIFA intervention, the clock is ticking to the end of March. Whether the matter is resolved before then is anyone’s guess.
