Less than six months out from one of the globe’s most-followed sporting events coming to Massachusetts, state officials say they are making progress on preparations but raised fresh concerns about World Cup funding and event locations in a new report to the Legislature.
Visitors from around the world are expected to pour into the state for the FIFA World Cup, which features seven games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough between June 13 and July 9. The Legislature has wrestled to cement the level of state support for the international event, and got a better picture of the anticipated need in the latest update from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
“The 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament is an exciting opportunity for Massachusetts,” the report says, going into great detail on the work underway on public safety, transportation and traffic mitigation planning for matches and fan experiences away from the Foxborough pitch.
“However, the World Cup does not come without its challenges. Specifically, the sources, allocation, control, responsibility, and accountability for funding are still being negotiated and understood,” state officials wrote. They added, “In addition to funding complexities, there are several key locations yet to be identified before all planning and mitigation strategies can be outlined. With the games just six months away, our state is well positioned for a successful event, but more needs to be done to optimize execution.”
The home of the New England Patriots will be renamed “Boston Stadium” for the World Cup and will “undergo FIFA-specific upgrades to meet international standards for player, media and fan facilities,” state officials said. The competing teams and FIFA officials are expected to stay in hotels and train at facilities spread across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and tie-in events are planned for downtown Boston — but the state said many of those details are still up in the air.
Preparations “are well underway” with coordination among local, state and federal agencies around key areas like enhanced transportation infrastructure, public safety measures, and celebratory initiatives “designed to showcase Boston and our Commonwealth,” the state said. Boston 26, a 501c4 nonprofit organization led by a three-person board, is leading the planning and execution of the seven matches and official celebratory events, the state said. The board incudes Kraft Sports & Entertainment COO Jim Nolan, New England Revolution President Brian Bilello and Meet Boston CEO Martha Sheridan.
The “primary source” of security funding for the tournament, the report said, is the FIFA World Cup Grant Program (FWCGP) administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Massachusetts is eligible for just more than $46.05 million of the total $625 million FWCGP funding available to the 11 American host cities. The state said its submission for that maximum amount is pending, but it would be less than half of the $95 million that state and local agencies have applied for.
EOPSS said in the report that it was “currently tracking $22.6 million in total costs,” made up of $20.6 million in State Police costs for security and labor on match days (and in the 10 days leading up to and two days after the games) and $2 million in expenses at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for EMS strike teams, personnel, and an Emergency Operations Center.
For the security funding, state safety officials said they are working through an “unusual payment structure” in which the state Office of Grants and Research (OGR) is the sole conduit to FEMA for the program but does not receive or manage the awarded funds. The structure, the report said, “has limited the state’s control and authority over the existing funding.”
Instead, the state must pass 100% of the award onto Boston 26. But the grant is a reimbursement program, so no money will actually change hands at the time of the award.
“Instead, either subrecipients or B26 will be required to advance the funds from their own coffers and seek reimbursement. Subrecipients will submit requests for reimbursement to B26, which will review the required documentation of approved expenditures, verify its accuracy, and forward the request for reimbursement to OGR. OGR will then submit the reimbursement request to FEMA for processing,” the state said, pointing out that the state will be on the hook for the costs associated with administering the grant.
The MBTA, which consulted with EOPSS on the report, is looking at about $30 million in operating costs, according to the report. That includes $11 million in labor costs and $19 million in materials and service costs. The report said some costs are security-related and may be reimbursed through a federal grant. There is also a $32.7 million capital improvement underway at the Commuter Rail station next to the stadium, most of which is supported through MBTA revenue bonds with $5 million coming from income surtax revenue.
For transportation funding, the state said there is “an effort to establish federal funding within existing Federal Transit Administration grant programs that will supplement any state transit funds.”
The state Legislature last year approved $10 million to support for World Cup-related transportation, public safety, wayfinding and signage, services for individuals with disabilities, equity, inclusion and sustainability efforts and volunteer support costs. That money is deposited in the Sports and Entertainments Events Fund administered by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
“This investment, any investment that we make as a state, is really going to come back to our benefit, you know, multiple fold, because of the number of people coming through our state, going to games, just coming here to watch, right?” Gov. Maura Healey said in October. “The number of dollars that are going to be spent in hotels and our restaurants, it’s going to be amazing. So that investment is worth it.”
The report from EOPSS, put on file with the Legislature on Wednesday, also spells out concerns that state officials have over the status of plans for things like the official FIFA FanFest, which is expected to be the primary public viewing location and a hub of other related activity. Also still undetermined, the report said, are the locations of team base camps and associated hotels.
“While the state does not have a role in committing to a location, it does have a role in planning to deliver a safe and secure environment for the selected location,” the report said of the FanFest, using similar language when discussing team base camps. “Until the location is identified, planning, coordination and preparation is limited and projected costs may need to be updated once a location is finalized.”
World Cup matches here start June 13 with a 9 p.m. game between Haiti and Scotland. Norway will face off against a team still to be determined (either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname) at 6 p.m. on June 16, and Scotland will play Morocco at 6 p.m. on June 19. Group stage play will wrap up in Foxborough with a 4 p.m. match on June 23 between England and Ghana and a 3 p.m. match on June 23 that pits Norway against France. After some teams are eliminated, a “round of 32” contest is planned for 4:30 p.m. on June 29, followed by a quarterfinals match at 4 p.m. on July 9.
