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The 2026 World Cup is fast approaching, and with Donald Trump leading co-host the United States, the tournament was never likely to pass without a political incident or two.
It now seems there may be issues actually getting some of the games played due to issues at a local level.
The leader of one host town, Foxborough, has warned that seven games due to be held there are “at risk”, in a report by ESPN.
Seven World Cup games “at risk” of having no venue
Foxborough is home to the Gillette Stadium, a venue in Massachusetts that usually hosts NFL team the New England Patriots, but this summer is scheduled to stage seven World Cup games.
The stadium is owned by Patriots owners, The Kraft Group, but the town owns the land beneath it, meaning FIFA need a licence from Foxborough (as the Patriots do) to host the games.
Town officials in Foxborough, Massachusetts, are seeking clarity on the source of around $8 million they say is needed to fund public safety for this summer's World Cup games at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots.Foxborough town manager Paige Duncan told… pic.twitter.com/ErKLjhkhE8February 8, 2026
The obstacle relates to an $8m (£5.88m) grant that town manager Paige Duncan says will fund the Foxborough police, who provide law enforcement and security around the venue.
“While grant funding or reimbursement through third parties may ultimately be available, the Town cannot rely on speculative or downstream funding when making staffing and deployment decisions,” Duncan wrote in a letter to organisers.
“If nobody gives money, there’s no World Cup in Foxborough.”
The stadium is due to host its first game on June 13 when Scotland take on Haiti, with England vs Ghana also due to take place there, along with a round of 32 fixture and a quarter-final game.
FIFA representatives are due to attend a town hall meeting on 17 February, where the issues outlined will be discussed, with a deadline 17 March set for the granting of the licence.
“My ultimate goal is for this to work out so that Foxborough can host the World Cup as planned,” Duncan added in his letter to officials.
“We are committed to collaboration, careful planning and public safety, but the significant costs associated with hosting the World Cup cannot fall on local taxpayers.”
The US government has set aside $625m for the 11 host cities in 'preparation and security costs', but it’s not known how much of this Foxborough have access to.
The stadium has a seated capacity of 65,000, which means as many as 455,000 people could be set to attend the stadium across the seven World Cup games slated to be taking place there.
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