The conflict involving the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, FIFA, the Boston World Cup Organizing Committee, and Kraft Sports & Entertainment has reached a conclusion.
And it’s a victory for Foxborough.
In what many are calling a reflection of soccer fans’ general dissatisfaction with this year’s World Cup, the Foxborough selection committee achieved a notable win by securing an agreement with World Cup officials on who will cover the security expenses for the games at Gillette Stadium.
Initially, the town held back from granting FIFA the necessary entertainment license for the World Cup matches, demanding guarantees that taxpayers wouldn’t foot the estimated $7.8 million bill for security.
In a statement from the selection committee, Kraft Sports & Entertainment, and Boston Soccer 2026, the three confirmed that “the city of Foxboro will not incur any costs or financial burdens associated with the FIFA World Cup.” The host committee is expected to provide “advance funding for security-related capital expenditures.”
They mentioned having reached a “collective understanding” to sort out the final details that would allow Foxborough to approve the entertainment license.
The town previously set a March 17 deadline for FIFA or Kraft to identify funding for safety measures amid increasing controversy over the issue, with the Foxborough Select Board remaining firm.
News of the agreement emerged shortly after Kraft Group claimed they would cover security expenses for the seven games hosted at Gillette Stadium on March 5. However, Foxborough quickly rejected this claim, labeling it “completely false.”
The first home game for the Patriots will take place on June 13th.
This situation in New England is a microcosm of a larger issue as the World Cup approaches in less than 100 days.
Other local governments are cutting back on fan events, as illustrated by Miami’s organizing committee recently expressing that it might have to scrap official fan activities if federal funding isn’t secured.
Ticket prices, yet another concern, have been troubling for U.S. fans for quite some time.
Recently, about 70 members of the U.S. Congress signed a petition urging FIFA to lower entry fees for the World Cup.
“Everyone is angry,” Rep. Sidney Kamlager Dove (D-Calif.) said regarding the feedback from fans, local vendors, and business owners, expressing their frustrations and asking mayors to help reach out to FIFA.
